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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29945058">Dianetti One-Shots</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dianetti_Doomer/pseuds/Dianetti_Doomer'>Dianetti_Doomer</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dianetti Eclipseverse [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic, Domestic Rosa Diaz/Gina Linetti, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian Sex, One Shot, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:02:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>22,053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29945058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dianetti_Doomer/pseuds/Dianetti_Doomer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Like the title says, just some Dianetti one-shots, canon to Total Eclipse: A Dianetti Novel, not in chronological order. Probably updated every day or two.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rosa Diaz/Gina Linetti</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dianetti Eclipseverse [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2232510</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Kernels of Wisdom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa watches on as Gina laughs at corny jokes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosa sat at the table, looping string through colorful beads to make a necklace for her little side-business. After a day of tackling bad guys to the ground and investigating dangerous drug rings, making handcrafted jewelry was a nice way for her to relax. This particular piece had been custom ordered by a woman, Kelsey, who was looking to give it to her friend, Greta. Since no one knew that Rosa Linetti was the woman behind the adorable Etsy page, she felt free to interact happily with her customers. Rosa often dreamed of a world where she could take Gina to the hills of Patagonia, her motherland; she could make artisanal pieces of jewelry and furniture for a living, and Gina could take care of their daughter. Enigma hadn’t even been conceived yet, but they were both still excited for motherhood.</p><p>A cackle ripped Rosa from her daydream. She turned in her chair to see Gina, phone in hand, rolling around on the couch in amusement.</p><p>“What’s so funny?”</p><p>Gina pointed at her phone. “I found this article about a bunch of corny jokes. Listen: ‘What do you call a pig that does karate?’”</p><p>“Daniel-swine?” Not even Rosa was impressed by her own bad Karate Kid pun.</p><p>“A pork chop!” Gina burst into laughter as Rosa watched on in silence.</p><p>“That is a terrible joke.”</p><p>“It’s hilarious! Try another one. Here: ‘Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?’”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“In case he got a hole in one!”</p><p>Rosa shook her head and turned back to her jewelry. Custom pieces cost a few bucks more than pre-made ones, and she wanted to finish this one up before the pizza guy arrived. But, try as she might, she couldn’t ignore Gina’s constant snorts and giggles.</p><p>“Are they all really that funny?”</p><p>“Um, yes! Come on, babe. Loosen up!”</p><p>Rosa stared blankly at her wife.</p><p>Gina gasped. “Knock knock.”</p><p>“Who’s there?”</p><p>“Falkland Islands.”</p><p>“I don’t get it.”</p><p>“And you never will!” Gina laughed again.</p><p>This time, Rosa smiled. It was cute how Gina found the jokes so funny, even if they were pretty bad. She liked to hear her laugh, too. Slipping on the last of the beads, Rosa tied the string into a knot and put it in a package. She stood and walked over to the couch, sitting across from Gina so that their legs intertwined. She watched as Gina laughed and laughed, smiling all the while.</p><p>“‘Why are there gates around cemeteries?’”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“‘Because people are dying to get in!’”</p><p>Rosa chuckled.</p><p>“‘What do you call fake spaghetti?’”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“‘An im-pasta!’”</p><p>Rosa grinned. Some of these jokes were funny, at least in a corny way. Turning around, Gina lay down in Rosa’s arms, still reading the jokes. Rosa wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying; she just loved hearing Gina laugh.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Rock, Chalk, and Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gina spots some chalk under a bench and decides to drag Rosa along for some springtime fun.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was early April, and spring was in full bloom. The birds were back from their tropical vacations, the trees in the park were colorful again, and even the rats had emerged from the sewers to bask in the warm glow of the Sun. Gina sat on a bench with Rosa outside the 99, chowing down on slices of pizza from a nearby joint. Enigma had been in her womb for less than a month and was smaller than a grain of rice, but Gina was already beginning to feel the effects of the pregnancy. She didn’t have to deal with morning sickness yet, but nausea was already a regular occurrence.</p><p>As she chewed a mouthful of cheesy goodness, Gina noticed something yellow under the bench.</p><p>“What’s that?” she asked, pointing to the thing.</p><p>Rosa looked down before leaning forward, reaching down, and revealing a box of sidewalk chalk. “Hm.”</p><p>Gina looked the box over. It almost looked brand new. She thought for a moment. ‘Warm weather, clear skies, empty sidewalk. Looks like things are about to get colorful.’ She turned to Rosa. “You wanna draw something?”</p><p>“I’m not ten years old, babe.”</p><p>“So, you don’t wanna do it?”</p><p>“No, I do.”</p><p>Gina smiled as her heart swelled in her chest. Throwing their pizza crusts in the trash, they got down on the knees and took up sticks of chalk. With a pink one, Gina drew a simple pig face. She peeked at Rosa’s drawing, which looked to be a blue flower. Rosa looked over at Gina’s little sketch.</p><p>“What’s that supposed to be?”</p><p>“You.” Giggling, Gina dragged the chalk across Rosa’s face, leaving a pink line on her tan skin. If this had happened a bit over a year ago, Rosa would have threatened to shove the chalk down her throat; now, she simply stared at her in loving annoyance, and Gina knew she was the one who had caused that drastic change.</p><p>Gina turned the pink chalk stick to the brick wall to her left, drawing a big heart on it. Inside were the letters “R+G.”</p><p>“Shouldn’t it be ‘R+R?’ You know, because your name is ‘Regina?’</p><p>“Only my mother calls me that, Rosie.”</p><p>“Oh, so I’m ‘Rosie’ now, not ‘Rose?’ I guess I can start calling you ‘Genie.’”</p><p>Gina liked it. She shrugged.</p><p>“Or what about ‘Reggie?’”</p><p>That, she didn’t like so much. Rosa took the moment to draw a green line down Gina’s cheek, and they giggled. Gina loved her so much.</p><p>As they continued drawing, there were quick footsteps on the street, and they looked up to find Charles looking down at them.</p><p>“You guys have sidewalk chalk? Count me in!” He began to crouch.</p><p>Rosa’s hand flashed to her holster. “I’m trying to have a nice moment with my pregnant wife, Charles, so don’t make me shoot you in the face.”</p><p>Charles quickly bounced back up, turned on his heels, and retreated across the street to the precinct.</p><p>Gina looked over at Rosa, feeling joyfully smug. “This is why I married you.”</p><p>“Because I would also shoot Charles without hesitation?”</p><p>“Because you know how to make a moment last. But that, too, yes.” She leaned forward and kissed her.</p><p>Gina stood to take a better look at their works, but was overcome with a sudden wave of nausea. As she wobbled on her legs, she felt Rosa’s hands, usually wrapped tightly around a badge and a pistol, gently guide her to the bench. The nausea soon subsided, and she found Rosa next to her, an unnatural look of care and concern on her face.</p><p>She placed a hand on Gina's stomach. “Is everything okay, honey?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s just the kid.” Gina looked into Rosa’s eyes, unable to tear her gaze away from them. She brushed Rosa’s cheek. “I married you because you love me.”</p><p>“Of course I love you, Gina. You’re my everything. And so is Iggy, even if she’s only a quarter of an inch tall.” She rubbed her belly. “A year from now, we’ll be a happy family, with two loving mommies and a precious baby girl.”</p><p>The thought made Gina’s heart throb, and the feeling grew as Rosa rested her head on her shoulder. They looked down at the things they had drawn: a pig, a flower, a tree, and some swirly patterns. Gina felt a gentle kiss on her neck. She was satisfied with the life he had, and wouldn’t give it up for anything.</p><p>A distant boom drew their attention skyward. They watched on as dark clouds trickled into view, fat raindrops beginning to fall down upon them. With shrieks and giggles, the Linetti women fled into the lobby just before the real storm began. Rosa rubbed Gina’s shoulders to warm her up, and Gina nuzzled into her arms.</p><p>“You guys are so cute!”</p><p>Rosa didn’t even turn around. “Go fuck yourself, Charles.” Just like they did on their first date, Rosa and Gina flipped off Charles together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sorry, what?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On the verge of being late to a medal ceremony, Rosa takes charge of Gina's makeup, but soon finds herself distracted.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come on, Gina, we’re gonna be late!”</p><p>“I need to do my makeup first!”</p><p>Groaning, Rosa flopped onto the couch. She was already decked out in her full uniform. They were getting ready for a medal ceremony, in which Rosa, Jake, and Holt would be awarded by Deputy Chief Wuntch for their service with the Giggle Pig task force. This was one of the most important moments in Rosa’s career, and she didn’t want to be late.</p><p>“It never takes you this long on date nights.”</p><p>“Yeah, but this is a big event, and I want to look just right.”</p><p>Rosa stomped over to the bathroom, flinging the door open to find Gina rooted in front of the mirror, applying her lipstick. If Gina couldn’t do her own lipstick, then Rosa would do it for her; she’d seen her do the routine enough to get the gist of it.</p><p>“Give me that.” Rosa snatched the makeup off the counter and pointed to the toilet. “Sit.”</p><p>Gina did as she was told, brushing the hair away from her face. Rosa took a brush and began applying the blush to Gina’s cheeks.</p><p>“You’re so authoritative. In a sexy kind of way, like Princess Leia. Maybe we could do something with that in the bedroom. I mean, we have access to handcuffs…”</p><p>Rosa drowned out the rambling as she gently brushed Gina’s face. Her skin was soft and smooth, as if it had been finely painted, without flaw, by a skilled artisan. Her auburn hair tumbled from her scalp to her shoulders in wavy wisps, thoroughly brushed and washed with care, and framed her pretty face. Her eyes, which bore into Rosa’s, were like shining sapphire gems, a sensual fire burning inside them as she spoke of dirty deeds. Rosa took up a mascara brush, and gently dipped it in the liquid, which looked like it was fresh from a Texan oil field. She brushed ever so methodically, holding Gina’s face in place with a light hand. Her skin was as soft as a cotton candy cloud, and Rosa smelled the fragrant soap she had used in the shower; it was lavender, definitely. Next, she took a pencil and began shading the area under her eyes. As she did this, her gaze drifted down to Gina’s lips, red and supple. She had felt their touch everywhere on her body, and was entranced as they moved, Gina still spouting ideas for something Rosa had already forgotten. Everything about her was soft and smooth, from her skin to her hair to her figure.</p><p>“Rosa?”</p><p>“Sorry, what?”</p><p>“Did you hear what I said?”</p><p>“Um… kinda.”</p><p>“What do you mean ‘kinda?’”</p><p>“I think I spaced out for a minute. Just rewind a bit.”</p><p>“Okay. I was saying that we could spray whipped cream on each other and lick it off our bodies. And maybe we could incorporate chocolate somehow.”</p><p>“Chocolate is too messy. Whipped cream will do just fine.”</p><p>“If you insist.”</p><p>Rosa looked at Gina’s face, painted and powdered. She didn’t need any of this aside from the lipstick. “I don’t understand why you have to go through this whole routine. You’re beautiful just the way you are.”</p><p>“Like I said, this is a big event, and I want to look good.”</p><p>“For who, though?”</p><p>“The cameras!”</p><p>Rosa shook her head. She didn’t understand the whole obsession with makeup and cosmetics, probably because she didn’t care what other people thought of her. Closing the case and taking Gina by the hand, Rosa stood.</p><p>“Come on. It’s time to go.”</p><p>Gina complied, walking with her to the door. They donned their jackets and helmets before walking out hand-in-hand. Rosa made a note to buy some whipped cream on the way home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Warm Me Up, You Little Bastard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gina wakes up during a power outage to find a pleasant surprise.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The snow whipped around in swirls outside the window, the midnight winds like cold needles that poked at the skin of everyone who was unlucky enough to find themselves outside that January night. Fortunately for Gina, she and Rosa were safely indoors. On the less fortunate side, the power was out and probably wouldn’t be fixed until the next morning. They’d had to make do with what they had, piling every blanket they could find on their bed.</p><p>Gina could feel the goosebumps on her arms as she rubbed them, wearing a thick sweater and still occasionally shivering. It was the cold that had woken her, and the clock read 1:22 AM. Sighing, she looked over at Rosa, and realized that she had pressed her curled-up body against Gina’s. Typically, Gina was the snuggler, and it was nice to be relied on for warmth for a change. Pulling Rosa close, Gina stroked her curly hair and rubbed her cold back. Rosa groaned and unconsciously wrapped her arms and legs around her wife to tighten the bond. Gina could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was confused as to why she felt this way; she and Rosa were married now, and it wasn’t like this meant anything big. Still, she savored the moment and kissed Rosa on the scalp, holding her all the while.</p><p>Suddenly, the room lit up as the power came back on. Slowly, warmth returned to the room, and Gina felt a warm chill run its way up her spine. Before long, Rosa wearily opened her eyes, blinking at the unexpected light.</p><p>“What time is it?”</p><p>“1:30 or so.”</p><p>“Is the power back?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>As she went to push off some of the blankets, Rosa seemed to realize the position she was in and looked up at Gina, who grinned at her.</p><p>“Look who’s the snuggle bunny now.”</p><p>Rosa smiled, pressing herself against Gina and burying her face in her neck. She hummed in satisfaction.</p><p>Gina grabbed her phone off the bedside table to look at her wallpaper; it was a selfie of them just after Rosa had accepted Gina’s proposal, standing above the city on the roof. They were huddled together to combat the Christmas cold, and Rosa’s chin rested on the top of Gina’s head. Swiping over to the camera, Gina snapped a quick picture of the two of them, snuggled tightly in bed. She opened the Photos app and moved the picture to her “Wifey” folder, which had been previously labelled as “Satan” and later “GF.” Before they had gotten together, Gina had liked snapping secret pictures of Rosa from across the bullpen, and the folder was big enough to rival the “Bro” folder, which contained her collection of Jake photos.</p><p>Switching off the lamp, Gina set down her phone and wrapped her arms around Rosa. Comforted by the return of electric heating, she slipped back off to Dreamland in the knowledge that no midnight fallacy could quite compare to having her wife snuggled up against her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sex Ed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Oscar pops over with Diana, hoping to broaden her view of the world.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They stood in the kitchen, Rosa washing the dishes and Gina drying them. Breakfast, which consisted of bacon and eggs, had been simple enough to clean up, and had tasted pretty good. Rosa held out her wet hand and Gina tossed over the towel. As she was drying her hands, there was a knock at the door. Instinctively, Rosa set down the towel and walked over to the door. She opened it to find her parents and her niece.</p><p>“Hi, Auntie Rosa!”</p><p>Smirking, she ruffled Diana’s hair. “Hey, kiddo.” She looked up at her parents. “What’re you guys doing here?”</p><p>“Well, we were just in the neighborhood, and Diana here wanted to meet this ‘special friend’ she’s heard so much about.” Oscar smiled.</p><p>Rosa’s heart picked up a bit, but she kept a straight face. “Come in.” She stepped aside, taking note of her mother’s silence.</p><p>Diana threw herself on the couch and Julia sat down silently beside her, while Oscar looked around the apartment; the last time he was there, he’d acted like an ingorant homophobic jerk, and he knew it. Rosa fetched some orange juice from the fridge and brought it over to Diana.</p><p>“Where’s your special friend, Auntie Rosa?”</p><p>“Somewhere around here. I’ll go get them.”</p><p>For a split second, as she turned, Rosa’s eyes met Julia’s, and she could see disappointment behind them. But she didn’t care. She walked into the kitchen with swagger, finding Gina arranging the glasses in the cupboard.</p><p>“Hey, Gene?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I wanna introduce you to my niece. She’s been dying to meet my ‘special friend.’”</p><p>Gina turned, looking uncharacteristically worrisome. “Your mother is okay with that?”</p><p>“No, but I stopped caring about her opinion a long time ago. Besides, my dad seemed pretty into the idea.”</p><p>She nodded slowly. “Alright. Lead the way.”</p><p>Smiling, Rosa took her by the hand and guided her to the living room. As they entered, Oscar nodded respectfully, and Gina nodded back. They sat across from Diana, who seemed a bit confused when she spotted Gina.</p><p>Rosa took a deep breath. “Diana, this is Gina. She’s my special friend.”</p><p>Gina waved.</p><p>“But she’s a girl.”</p><p>A grin forced its way onto Rosa’s face. “Yeah, I know.”</p><p>Diana looked on, tilting her head. Oscar opened his mouth, but Gina beat him to it.</p><p>“Do you know what it means to have a crush on someone, sweetie? To like them?”</p><p>The girl nodded, smiling. “Yeah.”</p><p>“Well, of course, there are boys who like girls and girls who like boys. But, sometimes, there are also boys who like boys and girls who like girls. Your Auntie Rosa and I like girls.”</p><p>“Like how my friend Tucker has two daddies?”</p><p>“Yeah, like that.”</p><p>“Oh, okay. I understand.” Rosa was a bit surprised, but she was glad that things had gone so smoothly. She looked over at Oscar, who gave her a proud thumbs-up. “So you had a crush on Auntie Rosa?”</p><p>“Yup, and she had a crush on me, too. I liked her so much, I asked her to marry me.”</p><p>“What did she say?”</p><p>Rosa held up her ring finger. “I said ‘yes.’”</p><p>Diana squealed in delight and clapped for them.</p><p>Gina seemed to think for a second. “Do you like video games, Diana?”</p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p>“Well, I have some Wii games you could play.” She looked up at Oscar. “If that’d be okay.”</p><p>Her father-in-law shrugged. “It’s a Saturday. It wouldn’t be so bad if Diana hung out with her aunts for a few hours. Me and Julia can go out for lunch.”</p><p>Julia spoke for the first time since she entered the apartment. “I guess so.” She kissed Diana on the forehead and stood, walking briskly over to the door.</p><p>“Have fun, you three!”</p><p>“Bye, Abuelo!”</p><p>With that, the three of them were alone. Gina had retrieved some games from the cabinet and held them out to Diana like cards.</p><p>“Take your pick, little lady.”</p><p>The decision was made in a split second. “Mario Kart!”</p><p>Gina smiled. “Good choice.” She cracked the case open and popped the disc into the machine. “You know, I’m Italian, just like Mario and Luigi.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>As Diana and Gina chatted and raced, Rosa watched from the kitchen. It warmed her heart to see her wife and her niece getting along so well. As Peach and Daisy revved their engines at the checkered line of Coconut Mall, she decided to make a little snack, assembling a bowl of Goldfish and Cheez-Its. She poured more orange juice to counteract the dryness of the crackers, and set out the snacks as DK Summit came into view. As she walked around to the back of the couch, she kissed the back of Gina’s head and settled in for a close race. Gina came in third and Diana came in second, with Wario claiming the golden medal; he was a cheater, just like Jake said.</p><p>“Wow, Gene. I can’t believe you lost to a fat French guy and a little girl.”</p><p>Diana laughed.</p><p>“Oh, I let you win.”</p><p>“I beat you fair and square, Auntie Gina!”</p><p>Gina showed Be-wonderment, gently gasping and looking up at Rosa.</p><p>Smiling, Rosa hopped over the couch and landed next to Gina, grabbing a remote for herself. “Let me get in on this. I’ll beat you both AND Wario.”</p><p>“I’d like to see you try.”</p><p>Choosing a certain character with a name very similar to her own, Rosa got ready for a wild ride with her wife and her niece. She imagined this was what it would be like to have a daughter someday, playing games as a family. For now, she was content as a babysitter.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Silent Soliloquy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alone in the apartment, Gina exchanges texts with Rosa.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>8:37 PM to 8:46 PM<br/>Gina: hey &lt;3<br/>Rosa: what do u want?<br/>Gina: i just wanna talk<br/>Rosa: im on a stakeout<br/>Gina: yeah no doy<br/>Gina: who are u staking out?<br/>Rosa: a prolific bunny smuggler<br/>Gina: sounds hella dangerous, be careful<br/>Gina: i wouldnt want u get stabbed by a mafia lieutenant<br/>Rosa: what mafia?<br/>Gina: the bunny mafia<br/>Rosa: the bunny mafia smuggles bunnies?<br/>Gina: bunny trafficking<br/>Rosa: do u ever think before you speak?<br/>Gina: u know i dont<br/>Rosa: u could at least send me some pics ;)<br/>Rosa: spice up my boring night<br/>Gina: u know i dont want that stuff on the cloud<br/>Gina: besides charles is there<br/>Gina: and terry too<br/>Rosa: just this once?<br/>Gina: i promise to make it up when u get home<br/>Rosa: fine<br/>Rosa: just saw him, moving out<br/>Gina: stay safe, rosebud</p><p>8:54 PM<br/>Gina: u good?</p><p>8:59 PM<br/>Gina: rosa</p><p>9:03 PM<br/>Gina: rosa<br/>Gina: rosa</p><p>9:09 PM<br/>Gina: rosa tell me ur ok</p><p>9:16 PM<br/>Gina: rosa plz</p><p>9:23<br/>Rosa: im okay<br/>Rosa: got caught up in a car chase<br/>Gina: dont scare me like that again bitch<br/>Gina: i was gonna cry<br/>Rosa: sorry genepool<br/>Rosa: i’ll be home in a bit<br/>Rosa: u still wanna f?<br/>Gina: i just need to see u<br/>Rosa: k<br/>Rosa: be there at 10<br/>Gina: luv u bby<br/>Rosa: luv u 2 &lt;3</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Second Impressions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In the middle of the night, Rosa joins Gina for some early morning dancing in the kitchen.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The emptiness of the mattress was the first thing Rosa noticed when she awoke. Turning over to the bedside table, she saw that the time was 2:12 AM. The room was dark and silent, but there was a bit of noise coming from the kitchen. Groggily, she rose and walked out into the dark hallway, finding the apartment lit by a solitary light. She found Gina rummaging through the fridge, cold air leaking out. Barefoot, she crept up behind her, lightly caressing her from behind. Gina turned her head, grinning.</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Gina snatched a Snapple and closed the door. “What brings a lady like you to this neck of the woods?”</p><p>“I’m just looking for my sexy wife.”</p><p>Chuckling, they kissed as Gina cracked open the bottle, its glass freezing to the touch. Taking a sip, Gina threw her head back, somehow arousing Rosa with such a simple act. She sighed as she pulled it from her lips and placed it on the counter.</p><p>“You up for some middle-of-the-night sex?”</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>As they continued their makeout session, Gina’s phone lit up, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” playing quietly as the ringtone. Gina looked over and huffed.</p><p>“Damn telemarketers.”</p><p>Rosa couldn’t help but hum along to the song, bobbing her head slightly. It had annoyed her at first, but it had started to grow on her after she moved in with Gina. She was disappointed when the phone went silent. She picked it up and entered Gina’s passcode (4449), going to her music and selecting the full song. Gina still wrapped in her arms, Rosa began to sway, muttering the words under her breath and altering them slightly to align with her sexuality. Grinning, Gina bounced along with her, mirroring the dance face-to-face with their hands clasped. At one point, she kissed the bridge of Gina’s adorably big nose.</p><p>“I’m so glad you put a ring on me.”</p><p>“Well, I liked you, so I did as the woman said.”</p><p>“You do everything she says.”</p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p>Their attention was drawn to the window as raindrops began pelting down on them. As Beyonce finished her performance, Rosa thought about how romantic this all seemed, with the rain and the darkness and the loneliness. She remembered an album she had read an article about a few days earlier, one that consisted of old ballroom music. It was called An Empty Bliss Beyond This World, and she decided to give it a whirl. Taking Gina and her phone in hand, Rosa flicked off the light and brought them both into the living room.</p><p>“What’s all this?”</p><p>“We haven’t danced since our wedding night.”</p><p>Rosa found the album and selected it, setting her phone down as the first song, “All you’re going to want to do is get back there,” began. She embraced Gina once again, looking down at her shadowy face as she swayed to the music. It was meant to invoke sadness and thoughts of loss, but all Rosa could think about was how great her life was. Gina rested her head on Rosa’s chest, taking her hand as they danced slowly. A chill seemed to run through the apartment as the rain continued to shower down outside the covered window, and this only tightened their hold on the other. With the ambiance of the music and the rain, and with Gina’s warm body pressed against hers, Rosa let the world slip away. All past events felt like fabricated memories; there was only the here, the now, and Gina.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Store Is Now Closed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gina frets as she becomes convinced that she and Rosa are lost in an IKEA.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gina looked around the empty store, scanning for anyone wearing yellow and blue, but there were none. It felt like it had been ages since they had seen another customer.</p><p>“Rosa, I think we’re lost.”</p><p>“Don’t be ridiculous. We’re fine.”</p><p>“Where is everyone, though?”</p><p>“Probably wrapping up. The store should be closing soon.”</p><p>Gina groaned. She didn’t want to be locked in an IKEA overnight. Being trapped with a bunch of delicious meatballs would certainly not help to quell the carnivorous urges brought on by her pregnancy. She held on tightly to Rosa, who pushed a box of crib parts in the shopping cart, and kept looking around. A voice crackled over the intercom.</p><p>“The store will be closing in 15 minutes.”</p><p>Gina squeaked, digging her nails into the leather of Rosa’s jacket. Rosa just rolled her eyes.</p><p>They continued to navigate the winding maze of shelves, hearing little else aside from the clicking of their footwear on the floor and the distant music being played from the speakers; Gina recognized the increasingly popular “Uptown Funk.” The echoing of the quiet music through the store, revealing just how vast it was, only made her feel worse. She wondered what it’d be like to get lost in here forever, sustaining herself on cafeteria food and marking the day-night cycle by the activation of the lights. Maybe things would be peaceful, just her, Rosa, and their daughter in this vast landscape. They wouldn’t have to pay taxes or anything, and they could live freely. Perhaps it’d be Enigma’s destiny to someday find the way out, whether her mothers were with her or not. Gina thought the idea would make a good book.</p><p>She noticed that Rosa was also starting to look around now.</p><p>“Where the fuck is checkout?”</p><p>“I told you we were lost.”</p><p>For once, Rosa didn’t argue.</p><p>Gina checked her phone; it had been a few minutes since the last announcement. It was October, too, which meant that Gina’s mind was locked onto thoughts of the thinning veil that separated the physical world from the spiritual realm. If they were trapped here overnight, there was no telling what otherworldly entities they might encounter.</p><p>‘You’re being paranoid, Gina. Calm the fuck down. I don’t think people are gonna start climbing out of the TVs or the ceilings or some shit. If you’re trapped in here overnight, then so be it. It’s not like you’ll go into labor.' As Gina reassured herself, she looked back up at Rosa, who seemed genuinely freaked out.</p><p>“The store will be closing in ten minutes.”</p><p>Rosa growled, and Gina rubbed her arm.</p><p>“Don’t be scared, Rosebud.”</p><p>“I’m not scared. I’m just… frustrated.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>There was a flash of movement in the distance. They looked at each other, then back towards the end of the aisle, and picked up their pace, walking as fast as they could for someone with a full shopping cart and a woman who was seven months pregnant. Before long, they emerged from the complex into a strip of checkout aisles, with windows that looked out on the dark parking lot. Composing themselves, they walked over to a self-checkout machine and paid for the crib. They walked out to their car without a word, putting the crib in the trunk and sitting themselves down in front. In an embarrassed silence, they pulled out of the spot and drove home.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Detective Linetti and the Nose Thief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Playtime with Iggy quickly turns into a high-speed chase.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Duck puffed cheerfully along the line, passing over bridges and through tunnels. He was taking an injured man to be picked up; it wasn’t anything serious, just a broken leg. Finally, he stopped at a level crossing, where Bertie was waiting to take the man to the hospital. Rosa wondered why they hadn’t just called an ambulance at the harbor, but decided not to overthink it. Iggy sat in her lap, her eyes glued to the TV as she firmly clutched a wooden version of the locomotive. She was only five months old, but it seemed like Duck was already her favorite character.</p><p>The door opened and closed. Rosa looked over as Gina hung up her denim jacket.</p><p>“Back already?”</p><p>“The store was out of matches, so I’ll go back tomorrow.”</p><p>“Why don’t you just use a lighter?”</p><p>“Because I don’t trust them. Matches are much safer.”</p><p>“If you say so.”</p><p>Gina plopped herself down on the couch. She gently stroked Iggy’s soft scalp. “She really likes Duck, doesn’t she?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s cute. I like Diesel, personally.”</p><p>“That’s quite the contrast. I think Mavis would have to be my favorite. She was rocking that little skirt thing.”</p><p>“You mean her cowcatchers and sideplates?”</p><p>“Well, aren’t you a smartypants?”</p><p>Rosa smiled. She just had a knack for remembering details, as was a necessity for any good detective.</p><p>Gina looked down at her daughter. “Iggy.” The baby looked up, and she lightly booped her nose. Iggy giggled. Gina did it again and got the same response.</p><p>As the episode drew to a close, Rosa looked back at the TV and was met by a surprisingly beautiful shot. Thomas, Percy, and Duck sat at a line of buffers, looking out at the sea as the Sun set. The people who made this were very artistically talented, and George Carlin was a great narrator. Grabbing the remote, Rosa paused the show. Gina was still booping Iggy’s nose, so Rosa decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. Reaching over, she poked Gina’s nose.</p><p>Gina stared at her for a few seconds, then did the same to her. Rosa did it again, as did Gina. Within a few seconds, they were playfully - but rapidly - booping the other’s nose. Iggy laughed at her mothers’ silliness, and Gina took this moment of distraction to snatch Iggy’s nose from her.</p><p>“I got your nose!” She sprung up and deepened her voice. “You’ll never catch me, pig!”</p><p>Placing Iggy on the cushion, Rosa stood and pointed a finger gun at her wife. “NYPD! Freeze!” She chased Gina around the apartment as Iggy watched on, looking around to make sure that she didn’t miss a second of the chase. After a minute, Rosa doubled back and intercepted Gina behind the couch, sweeping her off her feet. “Gotcha!”</p><p>“Come on, officer. I thought you didn’t arrest pretty girls.”</p><p>“Yeah, but I do arrest beautiful ones.” They kissed, and Rosa dropped Gina on the couch. Placing Iggy back on her lap as she sat down, she held out her palm. “The nose?”</p><p>Gina handed it over and Rosa popped it back into place, giving it one last boop. Gina pressed “play” and the next episode, “One Good Turn,” started. Resting her head on Rosa’s shoulder, Gina sighed. This, watching Thomas &amp; Friends with her wife and infant daughter, was a nice alternative to the usual chaos of the precinct. She was glad that Terry had recommended it to her.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Twist and Shout</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gina challenges Rosa to a game of Twister, unaware of the challenge she poses.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Excitedly, Gina dropped a Twister box on the bed. Rosa looked up from her copy of Animal Farm, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>“What’s that for?”</p><p>“I wanna play, silly goose!” Gina took off the top and pulled out the sheet, setting it down on the floor. She smoothed out the wrinkles and grabbed the spinner.</p><p>Sighing, Rosa pulled off the blanket and walked around the bed. “Fine, I’ll bite.” She pulled off her sweatpants, tossing them on the bed.</p><p>Gina grinned, pleased by the unexpected disrobing. “What’re you doing?”</p><p>“Getting these baggy pants off. They make it harder to twist.”</p><p>“‘K.” Gina unbuttoned her shirt, which joined Rosa’s pants on the bed. “I’ll go first.” </p><p>She spun the needle, and it landed on Left Foot - Green. Rosa spun and got Right Hand - Green. Before long, Gina had her right foot on blue, her left foot on green, her right hand on yellow, and her left hand on red. Rosa had her right foot on green, her left foot and left hand on red, and her right hand on blue. Gina wobbled, stretched out over the board, but Rosa was contorted with her hands and feet firmly planted.</p><p>Rosa spun the needle. “Left Hand - Yellow.” She reached over and placed her hand on the spot.</p><p>“How are you so good at this?”</p><p>“I used to be a gymnast. Remember?”</p><p>“How could I forget?” Gina bit her lip, and Rosa smirked.</p><p>“Right Hand - Green.”</p><p>Gina slipped her hand over to the spot. She heard the needle spin and Rosa slide her foot across the plastic, brushing against Gina’s. She awaited the next spin, but instead felt Rosa’s lips on her back.</p><p>“I don’t need a spinner to tell me how to twist for you, mi amore.”</p><p>“Don’t you dare use your sexy Spanish to distract me from victory!” A shiver ran up her spine as the kisses turned to licks.</p><p>“Come on, babe. Let me ravish you.” She felt Rosa’s hands wrap around her stomach, and she saw Rosa kneel behind her as her lips moved up Gina’s back.</p><p>She stood. “Ah-ha! You let your knees touch the mat! I win!”</p><p>“Wha-”</p><p>“I beat a gymnast at Twister! I’m unstoppable!”</p><p>“Only because I can’t stand being forced to watch you bend in nothing but your underwear.”</p><p>“Fair enough.” Gina thought for a moment, looking down at her nearly-naked wife, kneeling before her. “I think it’s time for some victory celebrations.” She held Rosa’s face, and she felt her lick her inner thigh.</p><p>“Sounds good to me.”</p><p>Running her fingers through her hair, Gina threw her head back as Rosa pulled down her underwear and licked her in all the right places.</p><p>‘Thank God for Twister.’</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Immortalized Seconds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa takes Gina to her parents' house for dinner, and Oscar whips out the old family photo album.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Sun far below the cityscape, they pulled up to the house. Bensonhurst was much quieter than downtown Brooklyn, and it seemed like a nice place. This was where Rosa had been raised after moving up from Argentina, and her parents still lived here, hence their journey there that night.</p><p>It was June, so the air was comfortably warm as they disembarked the Civic. Taylor Swift was silenced as Rosa turned off the car. Stepping onto the pavement, she met Gina at the hood. Gina had just concluded her first trimester of pregnancy, and they were having dinner with the Diazes to celebrate; after six months, Rosa’s mother was finally beginning to accept that her daughter liked women, and that her grand-daughter would not be birthed by Rosa.</p><p>As Gina stepped onto the sidewalk, Rosa took in her beauty, a streetlamp cast a yellow light on her. Bending over, she kissed Gina’s baby bump and then her lips. She took her hand and they walked to the front door. Rosa knocked. Her father greeted them within moments.</p><p>“Well, look who finally decided to show up! Come in, come in!” He ushered them inside.</p><p>Rosa kissed him on the cheek. “Hi, Dad.”</p><p>“Hola, Rosa.” He looked over at his daughter-in-law. “Please, Gina, let me take your jacket.” He slipped the denim off her shoulders and hung it on the coat rack.</p><p>“You’re always such a gentleman, Oscar.”</p><p>“You are carrying my grand-daughter, which means I will treat you like a queen until I can hold her in my arms, and even past that.”</p><p>Julia came out of the kitchen in an apron, kissing Rosa on the cheek. “Hola, hija.”</p><p>“Hey, Mom.”</p><p>Looking over at Gina, Julia nodded. “Hello, Gina.”</p><p>“Good evening, Julia.” Their smiles were weak, but it was a start.</p><p>Rosa and Gina followed Oscar into the living room, sitting down on the couch while he sat in a cozy chair. As he switched off the TV, Rosa was able to catch a quick glimpse of a soap opera, and a smirk forced its way onto her face. Gina gasped and picked up a framed photograph off the coffee table.</p><p>“Who might this be?” she asked in reference to a smiley young girl in a leotard.</p><p>Rosa blushed. “That’s me after winning my first gymnastics competition. I was ten.”</p><p>“You got any more of these embarrassing pictures?”</p><p>Oscar nodded, smiling. “What kind of father would I be if I didn’t have a whole book?” He stood and walked over to the bookshelf, pulling out an old album. He sat next to Gina on the couch and began flipping through it. “Here are Rosa’s baby photos.”</p><p>“You have no idea how long I have been waiting to see these.”</p><p>Surprisingly, Rosa didn’t feel embarrassed. Gina wasn’t her girlfriend anymore; she was her wife.</p><p>“What was Rosa’s first word? ‘Knife?’ ‘Kill?’ ‘Bomb?’”</p><p>Oscar flipped a page or two ahead, pointing at a picture of an infantile Rosa, her face covered in carrot mush. “It was ‘spoon.’”</p><p>Rosa tried to recover. “Like how you can spoon someone’s eyes out.”</p><p>“Or maybe because that’s what you used to eat carrot mush.” Gina stared at her with a cheeky grin.</p><p>“Here’s Rosa on her fourth Halloween. She went as Snow White because she was the only princess with black hair.”</p><p>Gina read the sharpie scrawl. “‘Halloween 1987.’ I was six, almost seven, at the time. I think I went as a ballerina, which is ironic, considering I ended up marrying one.”</p><p>Again, Oscar flipped forward in the book, stopping at a page covered in pictures of Rosa from her days at the dance academy. “They said she had ‘star potential.’ If we hadn’t been so hard on her, I think she could’ve become famous.”</p><p>“The experience probably helped me at the police academy. I always came in first when we did obstacle courses, and Jake can attest to that.”</p><p>“Do you ever regret leaving dance?” Gina, a fellow dancer, looked at her thoughtfully as she caressed her arm.</p><p>Rosa thought for a moment. “Sometimes, but I’d rather be putting bad guys away than doing pretty dances for a living. Besides, I wouldn’t have met Jake and, by that end, I never would’ve met you.”</p><p>“I like to think we would’ve crossed paths at some dance competition or something, our eyes meeting from across the room. I was part of a dance group, but you were an academy graduate, and you could teach me how to dance, so you did. We fell in love as we danced together, running away from our groups to spend our lives as partners instead of rivals. You probably would’ve been a much brighter personality, too.”</p><p>Rosa was taken aback by how much thought Gina had put into the scenario. Taking her hand, she kissed it. “Maybe, but I’m glad we’re so different. Opposites attract, after all.”</p><p>Sighing, Oscar flipped to the end of the book. “And now we have a new chapter to start in the scrapbook.” The final pages had photos from the wedding, as well as a few copies of Gina’s ultrasounds. Everything was laid out here, and Rosa could see just how fast their relationship had progressed. Rosa felt Gina squeeze her hand, and she squeezed back.</p><p>“Oh, mia rosa nera. How I love you.”</p><p>“You speak Italian?” Oscar seemed intrigued.</p><p>“Yeah, I learned it from my grandmother. The older generations of my family wanted to keep our heritage alive.”</p><p>He nodded. “There are many millions of Italians in Argentina. I am proud to say that I managed to pick it up as a second language.”</p><p>“E grandioso! Ora posso parlare con qualcuno oltre a mia madre.”</p><p>“Si. E passiamo tenere segreti anche a Rosa.”</p><p>Rosa raised an eyebrow. “Are you talking about me?”</p><p>Gina’s grin was as devilish as ever. “Possibilmente.”</p><p>The word was similar enough for her to understand it. She rose. “Well, if I’m going to be excluded by the language barrier, I might as well go check in on my mother.” Walking over to the mudroom, she looked over her shoulder. She liked hearing Gina speak in Italian; it was cute and, even if she was swelling from her pregnancy, it made her kind of sexy, too.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Trip To Creepsville</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gina drags Rosa to a creepy playground in the late hours of the night.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The air was still, but cold nonetheless. The streets were quiet and the sidewalks were lit by the occasional lamp. Not many people were out, and undisturbed snow still sat on the roofs of a few cars. Only a minority of the windows in view had lights inside them, and no one else was to be found. The sounds of the city could be heard in the distance, where the city never slept; this residential neighborhood, on the other hand, was very much out cold. The sound of their boots on the pavement bounced off the buildings.</p><p>Gina was enjoying herself, but Rosa seemed a bit on edge. She had pulled Gina close, locking their arms with an iron hold, and had her fists shoved into her pockets. Gina rubbed her shoulder.</p><p>“Loosen up, Rose. There’s nothing to worry about.”</p><p>“There’s plenty to worry about. Someone could jump out of an alleyway, or pull up in a car, or run up from behind.”</p><p>“You’re just being paranoid, hun. This is a perfectly safe neighborhood.”</p><p>“The borough crime reports would say otherwise.”</p><p>Gina tried not to argue.</p><p>As they continued walking, they passed by an empty playground. Gina looked over at the set of swings, just two plastic seats hanging from some metal chains. She stopped, and Rosa stopped with her.</p><p>“What’s up?”</p><p>She thought for a moment. She was getting inseminated in a week, and she wanted to do everything she couldn’t when she was pregnant. “Let’s go swing for a bit.”</p><p>“Why? It’s cold and it’s late and I wanna go home.”</p><p>“Just for a few minutes.”</p><p>Sighing, Rosa conceded and let Gina drag her through the metal gate. They walked over to the swingset and sat down, gently clutching the chains in their gloved hands. Gina kicked her legs and began to swing, while Rosa sat slumped over in her seat. The cold air stung her face, but she knew she could put up with it for a few minutes.</p><p>“Isn’t this fun?”</p><p>“It’s exhilarating.”</p><p>Ignoring her sarcasm, Gina continued to swing, gaining height with every pump of her legs. With no children around, she could go as high as she wanted without implanting dangerous ideas in their little minds. The chains rattled quietly, and Gina’s feet were soon level with Rosa’s head.</p><p>“Rosa! Look how high I can go!”</p><p>“I think the task force arrested a guy here once.”</p><p>Gina rolled her eyes.</p><p>At some point, Rosa seemed to resign herself to the moment, and began to swing. They both had strong leg muscles from years of dancing, and the playful swinging session quickly evolved into an undeclared competition. Gina knew that she couldn’t beat Rosa, who actually exercised, while she simply did yoga. Besides, Rosa was constantly chasing bad guys on foot, meaning that she got some extra running in. Tucking her legs under the seat, Gina slowed to an eventual stop, hopping off the swing and stepping back to watch Rosa, who was level with the bar at this point. She watched as her wife slipped off the seat and flew into the air, spinning before landing perfectly on her boots. Gina clapped, her mittens muffling the sound. Rosa smiled and bowed.</p><p>“That was one hell of a trick. I give it a 10.”</p><p>“Thanks, babe.” Rosa kissed her on the temple and took her by the hand.</p><p>They walked silently back to the street, resuming their homeward trek. Even if the neighborhood was kind of creepy, Gina thought it seemed kind of romantic for her and Rosa to sit alone in an empty park at night. She imagined herself in isolated locations, and adding Rosa to the scenario always made it feel romantic. They loved each other, and she never wanted to let go of Rosa’s hand. Other people got in fights and divorced, but Gina Linetti mated for life, and she had no regrets about that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. A Little Italy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa comes home to find that Gina has cooked her a special birthday dinner.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosa walked down the hallway, retrieving her keys from her pocket. It was her birthday, something that the rest of the Squad was unaware of, and Gina had been confined to bed by a bug of some sort, meaning that the day would be uneventful. She was fine with that, though; she’d celebrated alone at bars for years, and at least Gina could keep her company now. She slipped her key into the lock and turned it.</p><p>As if she had just opened a dam, saucy smells poured out of the apartment. She took in a deep whiff and looked around in surprise.</p><p>“Gene?”</p><p>Gina came striding out of the kitchen, a look of pride on her face. Her apron said “KISS THE CHEF,” and Rosa saw no reason not to comply.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Rosalita.” She kissed her deeply. “Iggy and I took the day to make you some traditional Italian foods.”</p><p>“Iggy helped?”</p><p>“She told me what sauces were best.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“By making me taste them.” Gina rubbed her belly, her baby bump yet to appear. Sometimes, Rosa still couldn’t believe that she was pregnant.</p><p>“Thanks, babe.” Rosa wrapped Gina up in a hug. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”</p><p>Leading her to the table with clasped hands, Gina revealed a feast of pasta, rice, cheese, soups, and bread. A jug of apple juice sat to the side, Big Bird waving at them with a friendly smile on his face; Gina couldn’t drink, and Rosa had promised to join her in sobriety, thinking it would only be fair if they both abstained from drinking. Rosa was taken aback by the elaborate display.</p><p>“Did you seriously do all of this yourself?”</p><p>“My mom may have stopped by for a bit.”</p><p>Rosa nodded. “Isn’t this all a bit much for just two people?”</p><p>“I’m pregnant, you dumb bitch. Most of this is for me. Besides, we can take the leftovers to work.”</p><p>‘If there even are any leftovers. She might not look pregnant now, but she definitely will after dinner.’</p><p>Tossing aside the apron, Gina sat at the table, and Rosa joined her. She went to pick up her utensils, but Gina stopped her.</p><p>“I haven’t said grace yet.”</p><p>Rosa was confused. Gina hadn’t practiced for years, and her own saying of grace at Christmas brunch with Darlene had been a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. Still, she didn’t hesitate in taking Gina’s hand. “Okay.”</p><p>Gina shifted in her seat, closing her eyes and raising her chin. “Beyonce, oh Lord…”</p><p>Rosa mentally rolled her eyes, but let Gina continue.</p><p>“Thank you for this meal and the blessings you have bestowed upon us. Thank you for putting this beautiful woman on our Earth. She has saved lives, brought down criminals, and made the world a better place. When I was drunk in love, she indulged me, and that is something I have always been grateful for. She may be cold and resentful and angry, but she is flawless, and I love her more than anything and anyone I have ever known. Bless us on this day. Amen.”</p><p>“Amen.”</p><p>They opened their eyes and looked over at the other. A grin cracked over Gina’s face.</p><p>“Oh, I made you cry!”</p><p>“Huh?” Rosa suddenly noticed the lump in her throat and the warm tears dripping from her eyes. She dried her face with her sleeve. “I guess you did.”</p><p>Pouring soup and plopping down pasta, they dug into the Lombard feast. Everything tasted like it had been cooked by someone straight from Italy, every drop and crumb hastily consumed in anticipation of the next. Rosa knew full well that she owed Gina a hefty Argentine feast as a birthday gift, by which point she would be nine months into her pregnancy and a week or two away from giving birth. For now, though, she would enjoy the meal in front of her, home-cooked and made with love.</p><p>“You didn’t need to do all this Gina. I don’t need a present from you. Being your wife is enough for me.”</p><p>“I know, but it was nice to make a meal for you with my own hands. Cooking traditional meals for your wife is one of the most romantic things you can do for her. Sharing the cuisine of your motherland, that’s amore.”</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Lip Licking Good</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>During a morning briefing, Gina finds herself addicted to Rosa's lip balm.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Squad settled into their seats as Terry arranged his papers up at the podium. Gina walked in from the breakroom with a steaming mug of coffee, holding it as lightly as she could so that her fingertips didn’t get burnt. She placed it on the metal table and took the seat next to Rosa, like she always did.</p><p>“Hey, boo.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Gina kissed her fiance, pleasantly surprised by the sweet flavor of her lip balm. “Strawberry. Mmm.”</p><p>“My lips have been pretty chapped lately. The air must be dry.”</p><p>“I keep telling you to plug in that humidifier.”</p><p>“I’m not a weakling.”</p><p>Terry shuffled his papers. “Alright, everybody. Listen up. We’ve got a busy day.” He looked at his notes. “Jake: status report on the Dunphy case?”</p><p>“We’re still piecing together the evidence, but there may have been a breakthrough, so me and Santiago are going to check up on a few leads.”</p><p>Amy perked up. “The correct grammar would be ‘Santiago and I.’”</p><p>Gina tuned out Peraltiago’s totally platonic bickering as she turned her attention back to Rosa’s moist lips. She could still taste the sweetness on hers, but it was waning fast. She tapped Rosa on the shoulder.</p><p>Rosa turned to her. “What?”</p><p>Leaning in, Gina kissed her again, longer and harder this time around.</p><p>“Woah.”</p><p>Gina licked her lips. “Thanks.”</p><p>Rosa looked at her for a second, seeming to be a bit confused. She turned her attention back to the Sarge.</p><p>The briefing went uninterrupted, but Gina simply could not shake the feeling that drew her to Rosa’s lips. She’d already had her taste, and Rosa had to pay attention to the briefing. Still, the urge was uncontrollable. Sitting as straight as she could, Gina pressed her cheek against Rosa’s and began discreetly licking the corner of her mouth.</p><p>“What’re you doing?” Rosa muttered.</p><p>“I just want another taste.”</p><p>But the corner wasn’t enough. Gina stuck her tongue out, licking Rosa’s lips in their entirety. A sweet taste washed over her tongue, and she was satisfied.</p><p>“Gina! What are you doing?”</p><p>Gina froze and looked at Terry, who stood in her peripheral vision. “Uh… normal couple stuff.”</p><p>He raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“It’s a lesbian thing. You wouldn’t get it.”</p><p>Rosa reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink plastic cylinder. “Why don’t you just use the lip balm yourself?”</p><p>Mentally facepalming, Gina took the stick, grinning and blushing in embarrassment. “Silly me.”</p><p>Smirking lovingly, Rosa rested her head on Gina’s shoulder. Terry resumed his briefing as Gina applied the “Sweet Strawberry” lip balm. It took everything in her power not to bite into the wax, and she was disappointed that she didn’t have an excuse to keep kissing and licking Rosa’s pretty lips.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Spa Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Riddled with pain, Rosa comes home from a boring day at work.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Slamming the door, Rosa stomped over to the couch and flopped down onto it. She groaned. She’d gone her whole shift without leaving the precinct, just doing paperwork and looking over cases. It had been overwhelmingly boring, and she envied Gina, who had opted to take a “mental health day.” She heard Gina shuffle over from the kitchen and rested her cheek on the cushion so she could look at her.</p><p>“Long day at work?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Gina squatted down to look Rosa in the eyes. “How do you feel?”</p><p>“I was hunched over a computer all day, so my back is killing me.”</p><p>Gina nodded. “Go lay down on the bed, and take off your shirt and bra. I’ll meet you there in a minute.”</p><p>“I’m not in the mood for sex right now, Gene.”</p><p>“This isn’t sex I’m talking about. This is something better. Just trust me.”</p><p>Conceding, Rosa slowly got to her feet, taking off her boots and jacket as Gina retreated to the bathroom. She strode into the bedroom, pulling off her sweater and unclipping her bra, and laid down on the mattress, which felt much better than the couch. She watched as Gina set some scented candles on the bedside tables and lit them, closed the curtains, and retrieved lotions of some kind. Calming music hummed from a speaker.</p><p>“On your belly, please.”</p><p>Rosa turned over and rested her cheek on the pillow, crossing her arms under her sternum. “Like this?”</p><p>“Perfect.”</p><p>Gina kneeled over her thighs. There was the sound of wet hands rubbing together, and Rosa’s muscles tensed at Gina’s cold touch. However, she loosened as Gina began to rub her back, exhaling at the feeling.</p><p>Rosa moaned. “Oh, Gina.”</p><p>“I don’t know if backs can be sexy or not, but yours definitely is.”</p><p>Rosa smiled.</p><p>“You look so peaceful.”</p><p>“I’m at peace for once in my life.”</p><p>Gina’s hands ran slowly up Rosa’s back to her shoulders, rubbing the defined muscles with a gentle touch. Rosa smirked as she felt Gina’s hands wrap around her ribs, fondling her breasts and nipples. They really had to do this more.</p><p>After a couple more minutes of back rubbing, Gina withdrew her hands to Rosa’s waist.</p><p>“On your back.”</p><p>Rosa turned over, Gina still kneeling over her thighs. The masseuse leaned forward, reaching up and around to run her nails down the back of Rosa’s neck. She began rubbing again, and Rosa felt her neck loosen up. A moan escaped from her throat. Her eyes closed, she didn’t see Gina leaning in for a kiss, taken by surprise as their lips met. She looked at Gina, who sat up and erotically pulled off her sweater. Topless, she laid down beside Rosa, pulling up the covers and nuzzling in. She kissed her neck, and Rosa pulled her close. She could feel the world slipping away, the room filled with sweet smells and gentle sounds. Rosa didn’t care if they slept for the rest of the day; cuddling with Gina was worth any price.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Water Wars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While relaxing in the hot tub, Gina comes under attack from a wicked foe.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The hot tub was a pleasant alternative to the cold winds. Why someone would go to a beach house during the winter was beyond her, but Gina didn’t want to miss the detectives-only getaway, even if she wasn’t a detective herself. “DOG Party 15,” as Jake had christened it, had gotten off to a rocky start, but things were running smoothly now that Holt was stooping down to their low levels of maturity. Gina was taking some time to herself while the others were lounging around inside. The bubbling of the water made for some nice white noise, and the steam felt almost heavenly as she breathed it in. She wore a new black bikini, which she hadn’t intended to touch until at least June, and had her hair in a loose bun, resting her arms on the rim of the tub. She loved her wife, but it was nice to get some alone time every once in a while.</p><p>Gina was jolted from her peaceful trance by a sudden splash of hot water on her face. She yelped, rubbing her eyes before opening them. Rosa was slipping into the tub, wearing a t-shirt over her bikini because she felt uncomfortable being so scantily clad in front of Holt. Gina didn’t mind the t-shirt; she thought it was kind of sexy, how the water made it tighten to Rosa’s athletic body.</p><p>“What was that for, you brown bitch?”</p><p>“Whoa, the race card? Really, you Lombard loony?”</p><p>“Latina lezzo.”</p><p>“Goofy greaseball.”</p><p>“Argentine asshat.”</p><p>“Despicable dago.”</p><p>Grinning, Rosa grabbed Gina’s head and forced it underwater. Gina’s arms flailed around as she choked for air, eventually grabbing Rosa’s shirt and pulling her under. She used the momentum to push herself up, gasping as oxygen gushed into her lungs. She held Rosa under the water for a good few seconds before releasing her. They’d been married for a couple of weeks now, but it was still so weird seeing Rosa with straight hair. Despite the violent nature of their fighting, Gina was enjoying herself.</p><p>“I’m a cop. I graduated from the New York City Police Academy. You’ll have to do better than that if you’re gonna kill me.”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t wanna kill you; I just wanna teach you a lesson.”</p><p>Pushing herself through the water, Gina launched herself at Rosa, and they grappled for dominance over the other. They had each other by the shoulders, squatting in the shallow water. They both slipped on the smooth bottom and plunged back underwater. As she resurfaced, Gina took out her loose bun, recognizing that it had been rendered useless by Rosa’s attack. She looked over to see Charles rushing out from the porch.</p><p>“Don’t worry, Gina! I’ll save you!”</p><p>Gina grabbed a discarded beer bottle by the neck and threw it at him like it was a boomerang. It hit him square in the forehead, and he went down. Gina was pleased and impressed with herself.</p><p>Sitting up, Rosa gasped, only for her throat to be grabbed by Gina.</p><p>“I said I’d teach you a lesson, you pussy.” Gina kissed her forcefully, grabbing her by the crotch. “And speaking of pussies, I’d love to rub mine against yours.”</p><p>Speechless, Rosa stumbled along as Gina pulled her up by the collar. Dripping wet, they walked on the stone path to the porch, grabbing their towels as they left the tub. They stepped over Charles, who was still groaning on the ground, and they giggled at the sight. Gina was shocked by her own sudden deviance, as she was usually fine submitting herself to Rosa’s dirty desires. Maybe the fight had unlocked something within her, or maybe it was the adrenaline, but she knew she liked it, and she was sure that Rosa would, too.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Damn You, Zeus, Great God Of The Sky!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa and Gina worry about Iggy during her first thunderstorm.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dark clouds hung over the city, ready to burst at any moment. Rosa looked out the window, monitoring the situation out of curiosity. She liked the rain and how isolating it felt. She considered it to be one of the most romantic forms of weather, usually cuddling up with Gina when the downpour began. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Rosa looked over at Gina.</p><p>“Hey, babe.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>Rosa put her hand on Gina’s, rubbing it and smiling at her. “How hard do you think it’s gonna be?”</p><p>“I don’t know. I’m just worried about Iggy. She’s never heard thunder before.”</p><p>They turned to the crib, where their daughter had kicked off her blanket and was now sucking her thumb. Rosa walked over and picked her up, bundling her in the tiny blanket. She handed her off to Gina and brushed aside her ponytail, wrapping her arm around Gina’s waist. They were hypnotized by Iggy’s adorable face, but their attention was drawn to the window by a distant boom. Iggy whimpered.</p><p>“It’s okay, Iggy. It’s okay.” Gina held her daughter close to her breast, gently bouncing to keep her calm. Motherhood had really brought out Gina’s sensitive side, and it had made Rosa more protective of her than ever.</p><p>There was a second boom, much closer than the first. Iggy cried out and wailed as raindrops pattered down on the window. Rosa reached down into the crib to retrieve Luna, a little stuffed wolf; it was Iggy’s favorite toy, and she couldn’t sleep without it. She held it over her, shaking it lightly.</p><p>“Look who it is, Iggy. It’s Luna! You love Luna.”</p><p>Iggy quieted somewhat, but a sudden blast of nearby lightning and the accompanying thunder rendered the toy useless.</p><p>Sighing, Rosa let her arm fall to her side. “I guess we’re just gonna have to wait this thing out.”</p><p>Gina shook her head. “She’s scared, Rosa. I can’t let my baby girl be scared.” Her voice was shaky.</p><p>“Gina…”</p><p>Without another word, Gina walked off with Rosa in hot pursuit. She walked to the bathroom, turning on the faucet to fill the tub. Rosa watched from the doorway. She held her hand under the water until she was satisfied, turning off the stream and walking over to Rosa. She handed Iggy back to Rosa and turned back to the tub. Pulling off her sweater, she began stripping down, inadvertently locking Rosa’s attention to her. Her athletic frame was still absolutely perfect, her smooth skin untouched by any negative side effects of her pregnancy. Rosa watched her muscular arms twist to undo her bra strap, and she blushed as Gina bent over to pull off her yoga pants. Nude, Gina took up Iggy in her arms and took off her onesie, stepping into the warm water and sitting down.</p><p>Thunder still cracked from beyond the windows, so Rosa closed the door behind her. She copied her wife, taking off her clothes and walking over to the tub. Gina stood to let Rosa join her, sitting down between her legs. The water was hardly high enough to reach their ribs, but Rosa thought it felt so natural, as if she and Gina were meant to be bathing their daughter in a forest river somewhere, the notion of civilization a nonexistent concept. She slipped her arms around Gina’s stomach, pulling her close. Gina rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder as she started to nurse Iggy. Rosa had tasted Gina’s milk, and was jealous that the infant got to taste the sweet, warm nectar so frequently. She was embarrassed that she sometimes stole a bottle from the fridge for herself.</p><p>Turning her head, Gina looked up at Rosa. “Sorry if I’ve been acting paranoid lately. I’ve never done this before, and I’m scared that she’s gonna get hurt somehow.”</p><p>“Neither of us have done this before. Everything that’s new to you is new to me, too. I get what you’re going through, and I’ll always be here for you.” Rosa kissed Gina, pulling out their ponytails as they did. “If Iggy wasn’t here, I’d be fingering you so hard right now.”</p><p>“What did I say about sex talk around her?”</p><p>Smirking, Rosa pecked her on the cheek, closing her eyes and relaxing. Gina nuzzled her head into Rosa’s neck, Iggy still sucking at her tit. The storm was still raging outside, but the Linetti family was at peace in the bath, the warm water washing away their worries as they held each other close. Rosa gently rubbed Gina’s vagina, simply hoping to pleasure her. She heard her sigh and felt a kiss on her neck, a sign that she was doing everything right. In a life of blaring sirens and loud gunshots, Rosa finally found herself in a moment of silent bliss.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Nimble and Quick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>On the seasonal solstice, Gina rushes to set up her autumn candles.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was finally the day that Gina had been waiting for: 22 September 2015, the Autumn Solstice. The season of Halloween and Thanksgiving was upon them, which meant that it was time for pumpkin frappuccinos and leaf piles; of course, her pregnancy meant that she wouldn’t be jumping into any leaf piles in the near future. It was also time for her to set up her collection of autumn-themed candles, straight from Whatley in Massachusetts. This would be her first full autumn with Rosa, as they’d started dating halfways through the season last year.</p><p>Gazing out the window, Gina watched the streetlights as they passed, a beam of light flying past every couple of seconds. She rubbed her swollen belly, a few days away from entering her third and final trimester, and sighed. A patch of mist formed where her breath hit the cold glass, but it was eradicated as she scribbled on it with her finger. She’d always thought of herself as a day person, but had grown to embrace the night in her time with Rosa, because it was the only time she felt like they were ever really alone.</p><p>With the clicking of the lock, the door swung open. Rosa held the door open as Gina walked in, helping her with her jacket and kissing the back of her head. While she waltzed off to start making dinner, Gina walked to the bedroom, opening the closet and kneeling. After swapping out her dress for an oversized NYPD t-shirt - Jake had forgotten it in the move -  and some sweatpants, she retrieved a large shoe box, taking off the top to reveal a collection of candles. As if it were a metaphor for the new stage of life she had begun, her previous collection had met its end last year, and so these were all brand new, purchased just a few weeks before. She replaced the candle on her bedside table, then the one in the bathroom before returning to the common area with her candles in hand. She swapped out the ones in the dining and living rooms, walking into the kitchen to find Rosa preparing a salad. She raised her eyebrow, unpleasantly surprised by the leafy greens. Rosa smirked and kneeled, kissing Gina’s baby bump. Gina smiled; maybe she could put up with a salad, at least just this once. She placed a candle on the counter, and Rosa promptly brought it to her nose to take a whiff. Nodding, she read the label, which identified it as “Dried Lavender.” Pulling open a drawer, Gina got the matchbox, striking a match to light the first candle of the season. Rosa clapped with a minimal amount of sarcasm.</p><p>Gina lit the candles on the table as Rosa set the bowl and forks, pouring dressing on the salad to make it more palatable. She pushed Gina’s seat in and they took up their forks, digging into the communal salad with limited enthusiasm. The sweet smell of McIntosh wafted over the table as they ate, and Gina was finally beginning to feel that autumn vibe, invoking memories of apple picking and pumpkin carving. She crunched on leaves as dressing filled her mouth, appreciative that Rosa hadn’t thrown tomatoes into the mix. The occasional bell pepper slice added a nice sense of familiarity.</p><p>After dinner, Gina sat on the couch, flipping through the TV channels as Rosa washed out the bowl. She lit the candle on the coffee table when Rosa walked in with a couple cold mango smoothies, setting them down on the table as she sat, resting her legs on the couch. Gina laid into her, resting her head on Rosa’s breasts like they were makeshift pillows. Rosa wrapped her arms around Gina and kissed the top of her head, and Gina looked up to kiss the bottom of her chin. Landing on The Grand Budapest Hotel, Rosa selected it and set down the remote. Gina brought a smoothie to her lips and took a sip, sighing as the sweet chill ran over her tongue and down her throat. Sinking into Rosa’s body, she felt something moving inside her, bringing Rosa’s hand down to her belly. They looked at each other as Iggy kicked, something that she had started doing about a month earlier; it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it always made Gina happy. Life would be loud and hectic in a few months, so Gina sat back to enjoy the silence and romance while she could, and she knew that Rosa was doing the same.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Odyssey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While Gina sleeps, Rosa subjects Babylon to a little vandalism.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The candles were still lit when Rosa woke up from her dreamless sleep, their pine scent evoking memories of Christmas tree shopping. She sat up, holding the blanket over her bare chest as she looked over at Gina, who slept like a lamb with slightly curled lips. Rosa loved how peaceful she looked in her sleep. It was these little trips to Babylon that made work more bearable for the both of them, and it was much nicer making love when she knew for sure that no one knew where they were. Uninterrupted and with no sign of the outside world, it felt truly blissful.</p><p>Kissing Gina on the cheek, she stood and walked over to the sink. She ran a hairbrush through her hair, eliminating the ratty knots hidden beneath her curls. It felt kind of weird to be doing such a normal thing naked, but she liked it nonetheless. Setting down the brush, she leaned forward to examine her scar in the mirror. It wasn’t much, just a slash through her eyebrow. She ran her fingers over it, studying it closely; even after twenty years, it was still pretty noticeable. She turned around and looked over her shoulder to see her back, which Gina had called “sexy” at one point. She had to admit that she didn’t look half-bad, especially looking over her shoulder the way she did. Gina wasn’t so bad herself.</p><p>Rosa turned her attention to the tiles that covered the walls. They were bland and monochrome, hardly reflecting the light of the candles. They were smooth and were neither cold nor hot. Gina had put a lot of work into decorating Babylon, but it needed a personalized touch. Rosa thought about what she could do, then remembered the way people carved hearts into trees, benches, and pretty much anything else made of wood. Her knives would probably crack the old tiles, but spray paint would do just fine, and she knew just where she could get some.</p><p>Slipping on her black underwear, her black jeans, her black sweater, her black socks, her black boots, and her black jacket, Rosa fetched her keys and walked out the door as quietly as she could. Gina was still fast asleep as she locked the door with her special key. She slowly pushed aside the shelf and walked down the hallway to the elevator. She pressed the “up” button and waited for the ding, which took a minute. She entered the empty elevator and pressed the button that would take her to the rest of the precinct. The elevator stopped at the lobby. A fat old lady waddled in, so Rosa pressed herself against the wall. The woman looked her up and down.</p><p>“Are you a sex criminal?”</p><p>“I would be if it was still the ‘70s.” The woman looked confused and backed up against her own wall. Rosa doubted that she was familiar with the history of American sodomy laws. “I’m a homosexual.”</p><p>“That was my second guess.”</p><p>They continued the ride in silence until they reached the bullpen, the throbbing heart of the 99. The woman was the first to leave, with Rosa holding back for a few seconds to give her some space. Once she was through the doors, she made a beeline for the evidence room. She exchanged silent nods with Detective Lohank as she passed. Quickening her pace, she walked into the dark room with tunnel vision. She knew exactly which box to go for: it was a relatively recent one, holding evidence from a vandalism case she had worked only about a week ago. Cracking the top open, she rummaged around until she felt the familiar cylindrical shape of a can, stored in a plastic bag. She retrieved it and shoved it into her jacket, placing the box back and leaving swiftly. She practically glided back to the elevator, pressing the “down” button and beginning the descent. This time, she was joined by a beanpole of a young man. He politely tipped his Red Sox cap at her. She responded with an equally polite nod.</p><p>“Is this your first time in NYC?”</p><p>“Yes, and I must say, it’s been a very pleasant experience. It’s a lot bigger than Boston, I’ll tell ya that much.”</p><p>Rosa smirked at his odd accent. “I wouldn’t suggest wearing the hat too much. You might get beat up.”</p><p>“Not as bad as we beat you Yanks back in ‘04.” They reached the lobby, and the man disembarked. He turned back as the doors closed. “Wicked getup, by the way.”</p><p>“Thanks, Hahvahd Yahd.”</p><p>Leaning against the back wall, Rosa thought about her little moment of culture shock. She’d expected a Bostonian to be a lot more confrontational in New York City.</p><p>The doors opened to the old corridor, which meant that Rosa’s little odyssey was finally complete. She strode briskly to the shelf, pushed aside the shelf, and unlocked the door. She shook the can before she walked in so that it wouldn’t wake the sleeping beauty in the bathroom. In the time she had been gone, Gina had spread herself out on the mattress. Her feet poked out from the far end of the blanket, and she shifted again in her sleep, turning onto her back and wrapping the blanket in her arms. Rosa took off her boots as she watched. She crossed the room to the far wall and pushed down on the nozzle, purple paint spraying from the can. She drew a heart on the tiles and wrote “ROSA+GINA” inside it. Stepping back, she took a picture of it with her phone and moved it to her “Genepool” folder, which had been previously labelled as “Gina” and then “Gene.” As she looked over her masterpiece, a hand suddenly smacked her ass. She bit her lip.</p><p>“Look what you made.” Gina’s arms wrapped around Rosa’s stomach.</p><p>“I thought Babylon could use a bit more personality.”</p><p>“I think it looks cute.” She kissed Rosa’s neck. “Now, get nude, you prude.”</p><p>Rosa pushed back her shoulders as Gina pulled off her jacket. She dropped her pants and twisted her arms to pull off her sweater. She turned back to Gina, who let out a sigh.</p><p>“There’s nothing sexier than watching a woman take off her shirt from behind.” Gina slipped on her underwear. “I love your body, but you just look so sexy in your black bra and panties.”</p><p>“And you look so fucking hot in hot pink.”</p><p>“They call it ‘hot pink’ for a reason.”</p><p>“They sure do.”</p><p>They kissed, pressing against each other. Rosa ran her hands over Gina’s warm skin.</p><p>“How about we sleep here tonight? It’s late, and I don’t feel like driving home.”</p><p>“Sounds like a plan, woman.”</p><p>After the candles were blown out, they laid back on the mattress, pulling up the blanket and pulling each other close. Gina nuzzled her head into Rosa’s neck and purred. Rosa kissed her forehead. The room was pitch black, the emptiness filled by a white noise machine, from which poured the soothing sounds of the sea. Warmed by Gina’s body, Rosa slipped into a peaceful sleep once again.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. She Tried It :/</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While on their honeymoon, Gina and Rosa have some fun in the snow.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Snowflakes floated down gently from the grey heavens as Gina stood on the top of the hill. Rosa was a few yards below her, dragging the plastic sled up the hill. She recalled the movie they’d watched during their cuddle session earlier that morning.</p><p>“It’s over, Rosa! I have the high ground!”</p><p>“You underestimate my power!”</p><p>“Don’t try it!”</p><p>Lifting the sled like a wrestler did a metal chair, Rosa charged the last few feet, letting out a primal battle cry. Scooping up some snow in her gloved hand, Gina nailed Rosa right in the nose, sending her rolling down the hill. Taking up the sled, Gina hopped on and rode down the hill, the cold wind stinging her face.</p><p>She and Rosa had been on their honeymoon in Northampton for a few days now, and Gina was loving it; Holt had given it a glowing recommendation. There were no grizzly murders to distract them, no files to be sorted and archived, and no lectures from Charles that no one asked for. They were free to do whatever they wanted. They’d seen shows at the Academy of Music, gone shopping at Thorne’s, and had ice cream at Herrell’s, just some of the few hotspots in the city. Gina had been pleased by the number of lesbian couples they had seen walking arm-in-arm down the street. Smith College, the famous women’s university, was located at the western end of Main Street, and held a lot of influence in the community, so Gina had added a visit to its art museum to their schedule.</p><p>Losing momentum, Gina slowed to a stop just short of the parking lot. She spun around on the sled, watching as Rosa continued to tumble down the hill. If anyone else had hit her in the face with a snowball and caused her to tumble down such a large hill, like Jake or Charles, she would have tried to break their spine. But this was Gina, her wife. As she finally came to a stop, she rose to her feet and stumbled over to her, laughing. Gina scooted over and Rosa sat down next to her on the sled, resting her head on her shoulder.</p><p>“I should arrest you for assaulting a police officer. I have my gun and cuffs in the car.”</p><p>“You agreed to only use the cuffs on this honeymoon when we’re in our hotel room.”</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Gina kissed Rosa, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck. Rosa slowly leaned back, laying down on the sled as Gina continued to kiss her. It was a nice moment, making out at the foot of a snowy hill. She may have been somewhat biased in her opinion, but Gina thought that there was nothing more beautiful than the love between two women. A frozen slap derailed her train of thought. Rosa cackled.</p><p>“Way to ruin the moment, Rose.” Gina sat up, pulling Rosa with her. “Let’s go make snowwomen.”</p><p>“Okie-dokie.”</p><p>Kneeling on the ground, they began rolling up small snowballs. “You know, there was an old mental hospital on the top of the hill until a few years ago. I bet there are still a few spirits of tortured patients wandering around. Maybe some of them were buried on the bank of this very hill.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t it be cool if they possessed the snow to raise an army of snowmen, and I had to shoot them all in the head with a shotgun?”</p><p>“Where in the world would you get a shotgun?”</p><p>Rosa walked over to the car, unlocking the doors and walking around to the trunk. After digging around for a minute, she poked her head out, holding out a shotgun for Gina to see. She returned it to the trunk, locked the car, and resumed the construction of her little figurine.</p><p>“I always have weapons available.”</p><p>“I really should have seen that coming.”</p><p>Making three sizable balls of snow, Gina stack them on top of each other, digging into the head with her thumb to carve a grumpy face. She looked over at Rosa’s, which had a happy face.</p><p>“Rosa!”</p><p>Rosa looked over at her.</p><p>“Get a pic for the Gram.”</p><p>Rosa held up her phone and snapped a picture of Gina kissing the cold cheek. “Now take one of me.” Rosa put her arm around the snow body and Gina hit the round button. They sent each other the pictures for posting once they could get an internet connection.</p><p>Turning to her sculpture, Gina crossed it with her fingers. “I christen thee ‘Snowsa.’” She held up her hands. “Arise, my creation! Arise!” All Gina got was a smack on the ass, rather than the birth of a new monster to serve her. But she didn’t mind.</p><p>“She’s hot as hell, but can Snowsa fuck you like I can?”</p><p>“I don’t think anyone can.” Gina kissed her lightly.</p><p>“We seem to do an awful lot of kissing.”</p><p>“Is that a complaint?”</p><p>“No, just an observation.” Striding over to Snowsa, Rosa took an offensive position. “Stand back." Quick as lightning, she spun and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to Snowsa’s face, which promptly fell to the ground. The snowball of a head burst when it was hit by a solid punch.</p><p>To avenge her creation, Gina turned to Rosa’s snowwoman and began hitting it with rapid punches. All she did was knock the head off. Then, she had an idea. “Let’s roll the torsos down the hill. We can take them up on the sled.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>Lifting the bodies, the newlyweds placed them on the plastic sheet. With Rosa pulling at the front and Gina pushing from the back, they began their trek up the hill. It took a few minutes, and Gina was thoroughly exhausted by the time they reached the top. They rolled the snowballs off the sled, readying them for the trip back down to the bank. A tap on her shoulder made Gina turn to her wife.</p><p>Rosa kissed her on the nose. “Your turn.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>With a forceful shove, Gina fell back and started rolling down the hill. She heard Rosa’s signature cackle pass as she tumbled, the world a spinning white blur. Everything was as it should be. She knew she’d suffer from some vertigo once she got to the bottom, but she also knew that Rosa would be there to catch her when she fell, because marriage was just one big trust fall, and they trusted the hell out of each other. Gina would always be there to catch Rosa, and Rosa would always be there to catch Gina.</p><p>After what felt like five minutes, Gina finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Groaning, she slowly stood and brushed herself off. Rosa was waiting by the hood of the car, smirking with crossed arms. She walked over to meet her halfway, but ran to close the distance as Gina’s legs gave out, catching her as she fell.</p><p>Gina looked up, her vision still not quite settled. “You bitch.”</p><p>“You started it.” Rosa helped her to the hood. “I think we’ve had enough of hills for today. How about we go warm up at that restaurant, the Brewery? I hear they’ve got killer nachos.”</p><p>“You know I love me some nachos.”</p><p>As Rosa put the sled in the trunk, Gina stretched. The bottom thirds of Snowsa and her unnamed wife still sat in the snow, untouched. Taking one last look at them, she hopped into the passenger seat, and Rosa joined her in front a second or two later. Turning the key in the ignition, the engine revved to life, and they drove out of the parking lot. They were in a quieter part of the city, maybe half a mile or so from downtown, and it was a peaceful drive. The snow was still coming down, if not a bit harder. On the radio, Parallel Williams’s overused “Happy” gave way to “Rather Be,” a song which better fit Gina’s musical ideals. She bobbed her head to the rhythm and hummed along to the lyrics. Rosa even started tapping on the steering wheel. Gina placed a hand on her wife’s thigh, a smile cracking on her face. With one hand on the wheel, Rosa placed the other over Gina’s, holding it as they drove into town for lunch.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Sister Act</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa is dragged along by Gina to be introduced to someone important.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The cool springtime winds blew gently through the street as Rosa and Gina strode down the sidewalk, hand-in-hand. The flowers were in full bloom and the sunlight was warm. They’d been ambushed by a sudden rainstorm the day before, but the sky was clear and bright today. Gina was leading Rosa somewhere, but their final destination still remained a secret.</p><p>“You wanna tell me where we’re going?”</p><p>“I’ve told you a million times: it’s a secret!”</p><p>Rosa rolled her eyes, smiling.</p><p>They kept walking for another minute or two before Gina stopped in front of a Starbucks. She pulled Rosa inside. The place was filled with typical cafe smells, like those of coffee beans and baked goods. Gina, ever the social butterfly, ordered two hot chocolates and some vanilla scones, Rosa tapping her foot impatiently all the while. After being on their feet for an eternity, they were finally able to sit down at a booth. Rosa sighed as she slid onto the leather cushion, trapped between wife and wall. Gina hastily emptied the bag and began chowing down on a scone.</p><p>“Calm down, Gina. You’re gonna choke.”</p><p>Gina took a sip of cocoa to wash down the dry crumbs. “Iggy hungers,” she said in reference to the tiny embryo in her gut.</p><p>Conceding defeat, Rosa sipped her drink.</p><p>A few more minutes passed by before Gina waved someone over. Rosa looked to see a young woman, probably about her own age, approaching them from the register. Gina stood to hug her, exchanging kisses on the cheek. She looked somewhat like Gina, so Rosa figured she was a cousin or something. The woman sat across from them, setting down her steaming latte.</p><p>Gina gestured to the woman. “This is who I dragged you here to meet.”</p><p>The woman stuck out her hand, and Rosa shook it. “I’m Stacy, Gina’s half-sister. Nice to meet you.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you, too.” Rosa had completely forgotten that Gina had a sister; she’d brought up her nephew, Anthony, a few times, but it had never really clicked that Gina needed a sibling to have a nephew.</p><p>“So, you must be Rosa, the great detective.”</p><p>“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘great…’”</p><p>Gina jumped in. “Oh, don’t be modest, Rosebud.” She turned to Stacy. “Rosa is in charge of a major task force that brings down crime rings that distribute a dangerous new drug. Its street name is ‘Giggle Pig.’”</p><p>“Oh, Giggle Pig, yeah. I’ve heard about that. You must be pretty famous.”</p><p>“Well, I did receive a medal from the deputy commissioner. Once I got married to Gina, the NYPD tried to make me a kind of celebrity because I’m a gay brown immigrant woman, but I fought them off.” Rosa wrapped her arm around Gina’s shoulder. “I’m fine with the quiet life I have. But enough about me. Tell me about yourself, Stacy.”</p><p>“Oh, where to start? Um, I live on Long Island with my husband, Danny, and my son, Anthony. Danny is a firefighter and Anthony wants to be a soccer player.”</p><p>Gina leaned over. “I swear, every time I see him, he has at least five band-aids on.”</p><p>“What do you do?”</p><p>“I’m the manager at the local Stop &amp; Shop. Nothing exciting, but it pays the bills.”</p><p>Rosa chuckled. “You’re lucky. I love my job, but sometimes I could really go for some ‘nothing exciting.’”</p><p>They all sunk a bit further in their seats. The relaxed atmosphere of the cafe flowed around them, spawned by the hissing of coffee machines and the clicking of laptop keyboards.</p><p>Gina looked between her wife and her sister. “This is nice, just hanging out. We should do this more often.”</p><p>Stacy nodded. “Yeah, we should. You’re my only sibling, for God’s sake. We need to be a lot closer.” She thought for a second. “I still have some books from when I was pregnant with Anthony, if you’d want those.”</p><p>“Really? That’d be great! A lot more cost-effective than having to buy new ones that say the exact same thing.” Gina looked over at Rosa. “What do you think, honey?”</p><p>“Sounds good to me. You’re good with money, so I trust your judgement.”</p><p>“Then it’s settled! I’ll put them in the mail as soon as I get home.”</p><p>Rosa was happy to see Gina getting along so well with her sister. The only time the three Diaz sisters got together was during family gatherings, and those didn’t happen all that often. While Rosa had been spoiled by stress and anger, her sisters had remained just as sweet and upbeat as they had always been. Now that she was going to have a daughter, she wondered if it might be time to try to get closer to her family. For now, though, she would just sit back and talk with her sister-in-law, telling stories about her funniest cases and forging a new bond.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Super Sapphics!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Gina and Rosa contemplate their origins as superheroes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The credits rolled as the movie ended. The Other and his army had been defeated, Loki was in cuffs, and Nick Fury’s vision had come to fruition, but Thanos had only just begun his scheming. It was a good movie, and they’d watched it in preparation of the upcoming sequel. And because a couple of characters were nice to look at.</p><p>Rosa stretched. “I wonder when we’ll see Thanos again.”</p><p>“He was in Guardians Of The Galaxy. Remember?”</p><p>“Mhm.” She looked over at the clock. “It’s 9:34. We should go to bed in a bit.”</p><p>“Or maybe we could sleep out here tonight.” Turning over, Gina leaned into her wife and kissed her.</p><p>Humming with satisfaction, Rosa grinned. “Natasha Romanoff may be the hottest woman alive, but I’d never leave you for her.”</p><p>“She is extremely sexy, I’ll give you that.” Gina rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder. They’d just watched a superhero movie, so she was required to ask the big superhero question. “If you were a superhero-”</p><p>“What superpower would I have?”</p><p>“It’s like you can read my mind. Why not read everyone else’s?”</p><p>“Because I don’t wanna jump in while Charles is in the middle of a Martha Stewart fantasy, and Holt probably just thinks about recorder concerts most of the time.” She had a point. “If I had to pick a superpower, it’d probably be… muscle enhancement.”</p><p>“Muscle enhancement? You mean like super strength?”</p><p>“Kind of. I mean that all my muscles would have extra power, from my arms to my legs to my chest. If someone were stuck under a car, I could lift it; if I had to jump across a gap between buildings, I could make it; if there was a car chase, I could stop it with my bare hands. It’d be pretty useful. I could even beat the Sarge in an arm wrestle. What about you?”</p><p>“Hmm.” Gina thought for a moment. Transformation, invisibility, and flight were pretty cool, but she needed something that would suit her. Finally, one came to her. “Energy manipulation, like what Scarlet Witch has. I can use energy from the environment as a weapon.”</p><p>“Sounds kinda overpowered.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, super strength isn’t exactly a very original superpower to choose.”</p><p>“Fair enough.”</p><p>“The real question is: how would you get your powers? Experimental serum, gamma exposure, or what? I’d get mine from a blast of psychic energy, generated when intense moonlight hits the crystals in a cave I’m exploring.”</p><p>“I’d get mine after being dosed by a strange drug during a bust. It keeps my physical form the same, but power surges through my blood as I gain immense power. The kingpin tries to escape in his Mercedes, but I kick the door and send it flying across the garage. That night, the Black Brawler is born.”</p><p>“Oh, so we’re doing names now? Alright. I become Psy-Girl. No! Psy-Woman; that sounds more empowering.”</p><p>“What if the whole Squad became superheroes? What would their powers be?”</p><p>“Easy. Jake would have super speed, Amy would have invisibility, Terry would have a sonic voice, Charles would have an obscure ability - kind of like Hawkeye - and would be constantly overlooked, and Scully and Hitchcock wouldn’t have powers.”</p><p>“What about Holt?”</p><p>“He’d be like our Nick Fury, or our Charles Townsend.”</p><p>“You mean from Charlie’s Angels?”</p><p>“Precisely.”</p><p>“I can see that. He just needs an eyepatch and a goatee, and we’re set. And what about our group name?”</p><p>“We’d be the Super Squad! The SS!” Gina realized her mistake instantly. “The Brooklyn Hero Squad! The BHS!”</p><p>“As in Brooklyn High School?”</p><p>Gina slapped Rosa’s shoulder. “Give me a break, Black Brawler.” She rolled off the couch and started collecting their dirty dishes from the coffee table. Rosa spanked her, and she squeaked. “Eat your dessert first, Rosebud.”</p><p>“Fine, Mom.”</p><p>Carrying a small pile of dishes, Gina walked into the kitchen. She set them on the counter and began sorting them into bowls, plates, cups, and silverware. She heard Rosa retrieve a carton from the freezer and looked over as she began scooping out Neapolitan ice cream.</p><p>“Serving size, or you wanna indulge tonight?”</p><p>Gina shrugged. “Let’s indulge. We stay in shape.”</p><p>“Alright.”</p><p>Gina washed the dishes as Rosa scooped dozens of ounces of ice cream into their bowls. Whipped cream swirled on top of the heaping mounds of frozen goodness, chocolate syrup pouring down. Rosa gently placed two maraschino cherries on top, taking a big sip from the jar. She sighed as it left her lips, a drop of red sugar dripping down her chin. Drying off her hands, Gina stepped forward to lick it. She hummed.</p><p>“Mm. Yummy.”</p><p>Taking their ice cream, they walked back to the couch and sat down. Sinking her spoon into the sugary mound, she took a scoop and raised it to her mouth. She moaned as the sweet taste washed over her tongue, a mix of vanilla, chocolate, cream, and maraschino. Looking down at the mess of cream and syrup, she chuckled.</p><p>“White and brown, just like us.”</p><p>Rosa smiled, her lips already covered in condiments. “We should make this a tradition: at the end of every week, we watch a movie and eat my signature Friday sundaes.”</p><p>“Oh, ‘signature?’ Really?”</p><p>Smirking affectionately, Rosa leaned forward to kiss Gina, their lips messy and sweet. As they withdrew, they smiled at each other. They propped their feet up on the coffee table, sitting back as they dug into their sundaes. Rosa took up the remote and flipped to 30 Rock as Gina rested her head on her shoulder. She’d been thinking a lot about babies recently and, even though she’d promised Rosa that they’d wait until at least June, she wanted a baby sooner than later. For now, though, she was content, eating ice cream and watching TV after work on a Friday night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Hey, Boo-Boo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After spending days undercover, Rosa is dying to see Gina again.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Slowing her speed, Rosa pulled up to the building for the first time in days. The last time she’d been away for this long had been her honeymoon, except that her wife hadn’t been with her this time around. She parked her bike and dismounted, shutting off the engine and slinging her bag over her shoulder. Her heart pounded as she entered the empty lobby; it’d been only a few days, but it felt like she’d been away for a whole month. She’d never been happier to see an elevator in her life, pressing the button with enthusiasm.</p><p>For the past five days, Rosa had been undercover with a local Giggle Pig ring, setting them up for a midnight raid at their headquarters. Terry had come storming in with the whole task force and arrested all present members while any loose ends were taken care of. It’d been a long week, and Rosa was glad that she hadn’t had to do any actual Giggle Pig, grateful for the philosophy of not getting high on your own supply. She had, however, smoked a few joints, and wasn’t too opposed to the idea of smoking a few more. This bust was just one of many she had under her belt, but it had definitely been one of the most demanding so far. As she stepped out into the hallway, she took up a quicker pace. It was 2:28 AM, and she just wanted to hop into bed for a few hours of sleep before the day began.</p><p>Rosa was surprised to hear quiet voices coming from the apartment as she slipped the key into the lock. Opening the door, she found a dark apartment, lit only by the TV. She set down her bag and hung up her jacket before turning back to the couch, next to which was a short silhouette. It charged at her.</p><p>“Rosa!”</p><p>A smile cracked on Rosa’s face. She walked forward with outstretched arms. Giggling gleefully, Gina wrapped her arms and legs around her wife, kissing her deeply with great affection.</p><p>“I missed you, Genepool.”</p><p>“Of course you did, sweetie; I’m irresistible.”</p><p>They kissed once again, savoring their tastes. Rosa had missed Gina’s lavender scent, inhaling deeply as Gina nuzzled her face into Rosa’s neck. Gina lowered her feet to the ground, and they stood for a minute, wrapped up in each others’ arms.</p><p>“I know it’s 2:30 in the morning, but I really need a shower.”</p><p>“Maybe I do, too.”</p><p>Taking her by the hand, Gina led Rosa to the bathroom, flicking on the light and closing the door behind them. She turned on the water as Rosa pulled off her boots, steam soon pouring from behind the curtain. Rosa pulled off her sweater, wrapping her arms around Gina from behind and beginning to unbutton her shirt. Gina reached back to undo Rosa’s jeans, which fell to the floor with a satisfying plop. Kneeling, Rosa pulled down Gina’s yoga pants. They slipped off their undergarments and stepped into the shower, Rosa taking Gina from behind once again. The warm water felt incredible on her back, having only used cold water for the two showers she took while undercover. She fondled her soft breasts as she kissed her, running a hand down to rub her abs. Her skin was as smooth as marble, and Rosa had kissed every inch of it. Gina turned to look her lover in the eyes, kissing her as they embraced.</p><p>“This is your night, Rosebud, and I’m gonna make it unforgettable.”</p><p>With that, she slowly got to her knees, kissing the length of Rosa’s body along the way. She held open her vulva, rubbing the exposed tissue with her thumbs before sticking out her tongue. When her tongue made contact with the clit, a shiver shot up Rosa’s spine, and she gently slipped her fingers into Gina’s hair. She threw her head back as she let out a deep moan, Gina’s tongue moving deeper inside her. All her stress seemed to be contained in that vocalization of pleasure, her chest feeling ten pounds lighter afterwards. She gasped as the feeling intensified, and her abs tensed to match it. For someone with so raspy and deep a voice as her, she hardly ever made such a feminine sound, and it made her grin in amusement. Her mouth on Rosa’s vagina, Gina caressed her muscular thighs like a masseuse, skills that Rosa could confirm she had.</p><p>After what must have been a couple minutes, the feeling came to a head, and Rosa knew she couldn’t hold it back any longer. With a sudden gasp, her abs hardened and her eyes rolled back, warm liquids running from somewhere deep inside her. She held Gina’s face in place as she came, sandwiching it between her thighs as her knees buckled. They sat there in silence, Rosa breathing heavily as Gina rested her forehead below her stomach. As slowly as she had kneeled, Gina stood, and Rosa held her for support, legs weakened.</p><p>“I love you so much, baby.” Rosa kissed the bridge of Gina’s big nose.</p><p>“And I love you.” Resting her head on Rosa’s shoulder, Gina kissed her neck lightly. “Do you know what day it is?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Valentine’s Day.”</p><p>Rosa felt so stupid for forgetting such a big day. “Our first Valentine’s Day as a couple, and I forgot all about it.”</p><p>“You were undercover; you had a lot on your plate, so I forgive you. Besides, it’s Saturday, so we can sleep in and spend the day lounging around with each other.”</p><p>“I didn’t get you anything.”</p><p>“You’ve been away for almost a week. A day with you is all I need, my valentine.” Holding Rosa close, Gina kissed her, and Rosa kissed her back.</p><p>Rosa was jolted out of her trance by a realization. “Oh, crap.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Turning off the water, Rosa stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. She wrung out her hair quickly before running out to her backpack, still sitting by the front door. She opened the zipper and rummaged around for what she was looking for, feeling it at the very bottom. The sterling silver, with its flecks of white and green seaglass, was a missed sight. She turned to find Gina waiting in the bathroom doorway, walking back to her with the trinket in hand.</p><p>“I forgot to put my wedding ring back on.” She did just that. It felt a little strange, but she would quickly grow used to it again.</p><p>“Now that you’ve taken care of that, how about we retire to the bedroom for some more fun?”</p><p>“Would a massage be too much to ask for?”</p><p>“It’s my goal to pleasure you, my love. Your wish is my command.”</p><p>Before long, Rosa was laying on the bed with Gina on top of her. She grinded slowly and rhythmically as she rubbed Rosa’s shoulders, the remaining tension melting away like ice in a sauna. It was 2:45 AM, but this was exactly what Rosa needed after almost a week without feeling Gina’s touch. Letting herself sink into the soft bed, Rosa let the world slip away as she herself slipped into a deep sleep.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. 128 Minutes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After a night of deviant roleplay, Rosa accidentally leaves Gina handcuffed to the bed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Natasha Romanoff” lay on the cot, handcuffed to the frame, as “Agent Obsidian” hovered over her. They both panted in aroused exhaustion, sweat making their smooth skin moist. Her red hair had been messed up by their passionate love-making, but her lipstick had held out well.</p><p>“Will you talk now, Miss Romanoff?”</p><p>“Never, but I appreciate the fun.”</p><p>“Well, I thought it might be nice to take advantage of your… exposure.”</p><p>“Consider me your little plaything, Agent. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” Gina grinned as Rosa leaned in to kiss her. “And scene.”</p><p>“I think that went well.”</p><p>“Hell yeah, it did.”</p><p>“I must say, you make a very sexy Black Widow.”</p><p>“And you make a very convincing evil spy.”</p><p>Rosa sat up to look over her wife. “We should do this more often. It turns me on to see you chained up like this.”</p><p>“You’re a sexual deviant, but I knew that when I married you. Or, I assumed it. But I was still right. Maybe I can be the dominant one next time. I feel like we can both pull off both roles.”</p><p>“I’d love to be your plaything.” They chuckled. On the bedside table, Rosa’s phone came to life with a sudden buzzing. She picked it up and brought it to her ear. “Hello?... Hey, Sarge… No, I was just finishing something up… You’re kidding… Fine. I’ll be there in a few.” She hung up.</p><p>“What did he want?”</p><p>Slipping onto the floor, Rosa pulled on her jeans and sweater. “A perp I arrested broke out of the holding cell somehow. I’ve gotta go help the Sarge find him.”</p><p>Gina sat up, still handcuffed to the bed. “Well, don’t be too long.” Rosa walked quickly to the door. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”</p><p>“Oh, right.” Rosa kissed her on the forehead before pacing quickly out the door. Gina listened as she rushed out the door, and heard her bike start up a minute later. The sound of the engine faded as she rode off, leaving Gina to feel like a prisoner in her own home.</p><p>There was nothing she could do but wait. She sat up with her hands behind her neck, elbows pointed up as if she were relaxing on a sunny beach. The keys were on Rosa’s keyring, so she couldn’t just reach over to the bedside table with her feet, but she could grab her phone. Positioning her knees towards the opposite side of the bed, she stretched her leg with strained toes, which grazed her phone lightly. She reached a bit further, managing to grab it with her bigger toes. She slowly retracted the leg, but the phone broke free, bouncing off the mattress and clattering to the floor. Her leg went limp as she sighed. There was nothing left to do.</p><p>Resigning herself, Gina simply sat there, watching the minutes progress on Rosa’s electric alarm clock. The time from 8:02 PM to 8:32 PM felt like an hour, and Rosa still wasn’t back by 9:00, nor 9:15, nor 9:30. The minutes ticked by with agonizing laziness as Gina’s arms began to ache. 10:00 came and went without change. Rosa was really going to pay for this.</p><p>Suddenly, around 10:15, an idea came in Gina’s head. She remembered something she’d once seen on TV, probably Psych or White Collar: if you could dislocate your thumbs, then you could wiggle out of handcuffs. It seemed a bit over-the-top for something so mild, but there was no telling when the perp would be caught, and Gina really had to use the bathroom. Breathing deeply, she built up the courage to do the deed. She could either wait for Rosa and wet the bed or suffer from some temporary pain and relieve herself cleanly. Twisting her arms, she got her thumbs into position and did it, hearing a sickening pop and feeling a jolt of pain. She yelped, gently sliding her hands out. Looking at her horribly messed up thumbs, she ran over to the bathroom and did her business. The whole time, her hands felt like absolute shit.</p><p>After a minute or two, she returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed to wait. A few seconds later, she heard keys in the lock. Her heart stopped. Consumed by frustration and regret, Gina’s face slumped in a frown as Rosa walked in.</p><p>“I didn’t know you were still awake.” Gina held up her dislocated thumbs, and Rosa’s face dropped. “Oh. Crap. Sorry, babe.” Rosa sat down next to her and popped her thumbs back into place, pain shooting up Gina’s arms before quickly subsiding.</p><p>“I know you love me, but you really aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed.”</p><p>“Is there any way I can make this up to you? Anything I can do?”</p><p>“Well…” Gina thought for a moment. Unlike most, she was aware of Rosa’s educational history. “As a former student at a CATHOLIC SCHOOL, I can think of one thing.”</p><p>Rosa smirked, both embarrassment and regret on her face. “If it would make you happy.”</p><p>“Oh, it would make me very happy. Miss Mariana, your history teacher, has sentenced you to detention a week from now. Miss it, and you will be punished severely.”</p><p>“You’re taking this really well.”</p><p>“You know I can’t stay mad at you, Rosebud. You’re my soulmate.” She kissed her and rubbed her thigh. “Some immediate make-up sex wouldn’t hurt, though.”</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>Giggling, Gina laid down and spread her legs. Rosa brushed back her hair and went down on her wife without hesitation. Kisses and licks were exactly what Gina needed after being locked up for two whole hours and dislocating her own thumbs. She closed her eyes, resigning herself to pleasure as Rosa made love to her for the second time that night. Not that she was complaining, of course.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Spooky Scary Shit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa is awoken by Gina at the witching hour for a seance.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rosa groaned as a hand shook her out of her peaceful sleep. She’d been dreaming that she was a gymnast and a toad, resting in a hammock as she drank milk from the skull of her least favorite defense attorney. Face-down, she lifted her head off the pillow, strands of curly hair covering her face.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Gina looked like she was wide awake. “Wanna play with a Ouija board?”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“It’s 3:00 AM.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“It’s the witching hour. Evil spirits are about.” She wiggled her fingers menacingly.</p><p>“It’s April.”</p><p>“Actually, it’s May 1, which means that it’s Samhain in the Southern Hemisphere.”</p><p>“We live in the Northern Hemisphere.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“It’s Friday. Can’t we do this tomorrow?”</p><p>“But I’ve already woken you up!”</p><p>Rosa stared at her wife for a second. “Fine.” She flung the covers off and crawled out of bed.</p><p>Clapping, Gina waltzed out of the room, Rosa shuffling slowly behind. The board was already set up on the coffee table in the living room, complete with electric candles. She rubbed her eyes as she sat on the couch.</p><p>“Alright, let’s get this over with.”</p><p>“Okay.” Gina reached out, taking Rosa’s hands in hers and guiding them to the planchet. “Are there there any spirits here?” The wooden seeing glass drifted slowly to “Yes.”</p><p>Rosa rolled her eyes.</p><p>“What is your name, spirit?”</p><p>“Y-E-L-E-N-A.”</p><p>“Are you a good spirit?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“How old are you?”</p><p>“F-I-F-T-E-E-N.”</p><p>Rosa looked over at Gina. “I’m already bored.”</p><p>“When did you die, Yelena?”</p><p>“1-8-9-4.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“T-U-B-E-R-C-U-L-O-S-I-S.”</p><p>“Where are you from?”</p><p>“S-E-R-B-I-A.”</p><p>“Are there any others here with us?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Too bad. Nice talking to you, Yelena.” Rosa went to stand, but Gina grabbed her arm.</p><p>“Stay, Rosebud. Don’t be rude.”</p><p>“You have got to be kidding me.”</p><p>There was a quiet scraping sound. They looked down. The planchet moved across the board, and it was then that Rosa saw Gina’s hands, both resting on her arm.</p><p>“Y-O-U | A-R-E | M-A-R-R-I-E-D?”</p><p>Rosa and Gina looked at each other. Gina had a look of surprise in her eyes, but tried to hide it. She slid the planchet over to “Yes.”</p><p>“Goodbye.”</p><p>They sat in silence for a second. Rosa was just shocked.</p><p>Gina rubbed her arm. “Well, looks like we live with a homophobic ghost girl.”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>“Hm.” As if nothing had just happened, Gina pulled Rosa back to the bedroom. “See? Wasn’t that fun?”</p><p>“Sure.” They laid back in bed, Rosa resting her head on Gina’s shoulder. “Goodnight.”</p><p>“Isn’t there something you’re forgetting?”</p><p>Slipping down, Rosa kissed Gina’s belly. “Goodnight, Enigma.”</p><p>Gina smiled and pulled the Latina close. She kissed the top of her head. “Goodnight.”</p><p>As she tried to fall back asleep, Rosa’s eyes darted around the room, looking for any strange shadows that may be lurking in the darkness. She saw none, but still felt rather uncomfortable. Sleep would not come easily.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Fallen Queendom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>We join our heroes locked in a game of wits.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After carefully surveying the board, Gina slid her rook forward to capture another one of Rosa’s pawns. Playing as the white side, she’d had the privilege of going first, but that wasn’t necessarily an advantage in the long run. Rosa was a smart woman, and Gina was working hard to match her. They weren’t typically occupied by such intellectual activities, but thought it might be a nice change from Monopoly and Uno. This particular set was old; it’d belonged to Jake’s nana years ago, and they’d just discovered it in the back of their bedroom closet.</p><p>Rosa squinted pensively. “Good move.” She slid her bishop behind the rook.</p><p>Gina knew that she was being baited into a trap: if she slid the rook back, it would be open to capture by a nearby knight. Instead, she slid it left to the other side of the board. “Nice try.”</p><p>“Do or do not; there is no try.” Rosa slid the bishop to capture one of Gina’s knights, only two squares away from Gina herself.</p><p>“Hmm.” ‘That was a clever move.’ “How’d you get to be so good at chess?”</p><p>“I used to play it with my grandmother. She was the best player in her village when she was young. The men were dumb enough to bet on matches with her, and she won every time.” She swapped out Gina’s pawn for her king. “With the money she won, she was able to help my dad pay for our move to America.”</p><p>“So, chess is the reason that we’re married?”</p><p>“That’s a bit of an oversimplification, but it’s true. How about you?”</p><p>“Nana Peralta tried to teach Jake how to play chess like a normal person, but that didn’t go too well for her, so she taught me instead.” Growing up, Jake had been educated in the ways of chess by his uncle, but it was really more like BB gun practice with chess pieces as targets.</p><p>“Chess really is a grandparent game.”</p><p>“Yeah, and whoever wins this match can teach Iggy’s daughter someday. But, I think one of your parents is gonna have to teach Iggy herself.”</p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p>“My mom isn’t really the chess-playing type. She’ll probably just try to teach her about astrology and crystals. Your dad is probably better suited for it, being a teacher and all.” Swooping in with a pawn, Gina snatched up Rosa’s queen. “Ha! I win!”</p><p>“You have to get the KING to win, Gene. Not the queen.”</p><p>“Maybe not in your version, but this is Linetti chess.”</p><p>“Linetti chess?”</p><p>“The king and queen have equal power, but the queen is the main focus instead of the king. I just came up with it.”</p><p>“Right now?”</p><p>“Right now.”</p><p>“You cunt.”</p><p>Gasping, Gina placed her hands on her barely-visible baby bump. “How dare you use language like that in front of our developing daughter! She’s gonna come out of the womb slurring like a sailor!”</p><p>“You’re only two months pregnant. I can swear as much as I want for another two.”</p><p>“And why’s that?”</p><p>“The ears don’t develop until sixteen weeks after conception. I know that because I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine. And what do you have a degree in?”</p><p>Gina’s face slumped in annoyance. She knew that Rosa already knew the answer.</p><p>“Well?”</p><p>“I dropped out of college and you didn’t. Good for you.”</p><p>“That’s right.”</p><p>“But I’m studying for my degree, so you can wipe that smug look off your face.”</p><p>“Sure, but who wants a degree in celestial mechanics?”</p><p>“That’s just my minor. I’m looking to major in counseling psychology. But, then again, you already know all this.”</p><p>“I do, and I’m proud of you for it.” Rosa leaned over the table to kiss Gina, healing any wounds that their little bickering may have caused. “I know I tease you, but I love you all the same.”</p><p>Placing a hand on hers, Gina brushed her nose against Rosa’s. “I know.”</p><p>They stared into each other’s eyes for a minute. Rosa’s were dark, murky, and mysterious, like a foggy swamp in Mississippi. Their fingers interlaced as they leaned in for another kiss, one that was longer than the last. As she felt the ring on Rosa’s finger, Gina thought about how wonderful her life was: she was married to a beautiful woman, had a baby on the way, was getting a college degree, and ran a successful social media operation. Standing, she pulled Rosa to the side of the table, wrapping her up in a hug as she buried her face in her chest. She let out a deep sigh and felt a kiss on the top of her head. Everything was coming up roses.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Sex Talk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa listens as Gina tells her the story behind some of the things she's said about guys in the past.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was an uneventful April evening. The rain pattered on the windows, but the apartment was warmed by a fire in the fireplace. Rosa lay on the couch in front of it, reading a copy of Memoria Política: Transición a la Democracia y Derechos Humanos, written by the late Argentinian president Raul Alfonsin. Occasionally, she would sip the hot cocoa that sat in a purple mug on the coffee table, the marshmallows little more than floating foam. In the other room, Gina was recording something for her many social media accounts, probably a sponsorship of some kind. With a baby on the way, it was nice to have some extra cash on the side.</p><p>As she read, a memory forced its way into Rosa’s mind, and then another, and then yet another. Before long, her mind was swimming with memories of things Gina had said over the years, things about guys, sex, and the like. She knew they were all lies, but she was just baffled that she’d managed to keep up the act for at least fifteen or twenty years. Before long, she could hardly focus on her countryman’s writings. Setting the book down, she sat up and grabbed the warm ceramic mug. She took a sip of the chocolate as she stared into the flames. The nine fiances, the bike messengers, the Marks, Charles; none of it was real, and she knew it, but it still bugged her.</p><p>“ROSA.”</p><p>Her train of thought now derailed, Rosa snapped her head to look at Gina. “Huh?”</p><p>“You were staring into that fire like Sirius Black was giving you the Sex Talk. Are you good?”</p><p>“Yeah, just thinking.”</p><p>“About what?”</p><p>Rosa ran her tongue over her teeth as she thought. “Have a seat.” She patted the cushion next to her.</p><p>Gina sat down, their bodies pressed together cozily. She rubbed Rosa’s arm. “Talk to me.”</p><p>Sighing, Rosa spoke her mind. “I was just thinking about all those things you’ve said over the years, about sleeping around with guys and almost sleeping with Charles. I guess it just made me… I don’t know how to describe the feeling.”</p><p>“You know those were just things I said to maintain the illusion of heterosexuality. I told you that on our first date.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know.” She rubbed her eyes. “It just bugs me. I don’t know why.”</p><p>“Would it help if I told you what really happened?”</p><p>“It’s worth a shot.”</p><p>“Okay.” Gina looked up to the ceiling as she thought back. “You’ve heard about my nine fiances, right?”</p><p>Rosa nodded.</p><p>“They were all either friends of mine or actors, sometimes both. As stereotypical as it may sound, you do run into a lot of gay men on the fashion scene, so I had a lot of contacts of the sort. In trying to assure people that I was straight, I got a bit carried away and created the image of a real Barney Stinson type of girl, but the stress led me to tell some of my closest, fruitiest friends that I liked women. They were really supportive, and some of the ones that weren’t out yet agreed to help me out with my charade. I only hired an actor once or twice, but I made sure they were gay, too.”</p><p>“What were their names?”</p><p>She counted on her fingers. “Anders, Blake, Clark, David, Ethan, Francis, Gary, Hans, and Isambard.”</p><p>Rosa nodded. She was starting to feel better. “What about the bike messengers?”</p><p>“I ordered a lot of pizza when I lived at my old place, so I decided to rope them in. They had no idea. When people asked about them, I just said that they were one-night stands, but I was really gorging myself on cheese, tomato sauce, and olives. My grandma would also use them as a postal service because she didn’t trust the post office.”</p><p>“And your ‘sensuous encounter with a guy named Mark?’”</p><p>“It was less of a guy named Mark and more of a Mark V vibrator from Vybrant.”</p><p>Fiddling with her wedding ring, Rosa forced herself onward. “And what about Charles? You’ve said some things about him in the past that make me tense up.”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“Well, when he was giving a presentation while he was engaged to Vivian, he wore these weird tight pants, and you said, ‘Ew, I can’t believe I was just briefly attracted to Charles!’ And then you went ‘Ugh!’”</p><p>Gina looked like she was seriously questioning Rosa’s intelligence. “That was a joke, Rosebud. And so was the idea that I would have gone home with him.”</p><p>“When I took you home that night, you were pretty drunk, and drunk women tell their tales. You said that you were willing to ‘sacrifice’ yourself.”</p><p>“You said it yourself: I was drunk, and drunk women tell tales, especially tall ones. I can’t think of any reason why any woman would want to even touch that little pig of a man. The only reason he and Vivian were in love was because they both loved to cook, not because they were physically attracted to one another, though I guess that only goes for Vivian.” Gina shook her head. “I’m still 94.7% certain that he and Eleanor never even had sex.”</p><p>“That’s pretty precise.”</p><p>“I know my math.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Rosa looked down at her hands, somewhat unsure of herself. “I’m sorry. I feel so stupid for letting it get to me. I knew it was fake, and I should have left it alone.”</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay.” Gina rubbed her chest. “You had a right to worry and a right to know.” Kissing her cheek, she stood. “I’m going to make some mac and cheese for dinner. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”</p><p>“Thanks.”</p><p>Smiling at her, Gina strode off to the kitchen, and Rosa watched her go. Laying back down, she crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. Rather than dwelling on the past, she decided to think about what the bright future had in store.</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Up In Smoke</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A heavily-pregnant Gina is rudely awoken when Rosa's plans fall through.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brushing off her sleeping gown, Gina slowly sat on the bed, sinking into the mattress as she was anchored down by her baby bump. She was only a couple weeks from her due date - thirteen, to be exact - which just so happened to be Christmas. Today, however, was her birthday, and Rosa was making her a special dinner; back in May, Gina had made her a traditional Lombard feast, so Rosa was making her an Argentinian meal to even the score. Gina was grateful that she had such a caring and considerate wife.</p><p>After straining to sit up, Gina was able to pull the covers up, her swollen belly making the blanket look like a small mountain. She rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes to get some much-needed sleep after a lively day at work. She appreciated that the Squad had gone through all the trouble of throwing her a birthday party when she was so close to having Enigma, and she probably owed credit to Amy’s expertise in event planning and organization. They’d all had a chocolate cake, baked and decorated by Darlene Linetti, though she’d been helped by Charles along the way, which was a thought that did not please Gina. Still, he was willing to do anything to be liked, and she was sure that this exploitable willingness would come in handy in the future.</p><p>As she lay there, Gina turned over a little stuffed wolf that Jake had given her as a present. He’d named it “Luna” because wolves howled at the Moon, and Gina loved wolves. It was a thoughtful gift, and she would give it to Enigma as soon as she was placed in her crib for the first time. She would make sure that she always knew that it had come from her Uncle Jake. She could hear Rosa in the kitchen, listening to old music as she cooked, just as she had on that one morning nearly a year ago. Back then, they were still just girlfriends, but they’d be married within the month, having only been together for a month and a week. Gina had gotten pregnant almost four months after their wedding, but she was happy that she and Rosa would be starting their family so early on. Maybe if she’d first asked out Rosa when they first met all those years ago, Enigma could have already been born. But it was useless to dwell on what could have been, and Gina knew it, so she decided to think about the road ahead as she tried to get some sleep.</p><p>The smell of smoke was a sudden one. Gina’s eyes shot open when she recognized it, even if it was faint. Summoning all her strength, she sat up and looked over at the clock, which alerted her to the fact that a few hours had passed since she had laid down. She pulled off the covers and dangled her legs over the side of the bed. With a heave, she pushed herself to her feet, waddling over the door. When she opened it, she was met by the beeping of the smoke alarm and a somewhat stronger smoky smell. Looking into the kitchen, she found Rosa looking down on two pans of burnt food.</p><p>“Rosa?”</p><p>She whipped around. “Hey, Gene. I, uh, made you some dinner.”</p><p>“Ah, yes. Crispy pudding and charcoal cheese. My favorite.”</p><p>“It was supposed to be dulce de leche and provoleta, but I cooked them for too long.” Rosa dipped her finger in a bowl of green sauce and licked it, sticking her tongue out in disgust. “And I put way too much lemon juice in the chimichurri.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand where everything went wrong. I’m usually a pretty good cook.”</p><p>“Do you think it might have something to do with the baby? Maybe the stress is getting to you. I mean, you have been kinda clumsy these past few months.”</p><p>“Maybe.” Looking around the smoky apartment, Rosa sighed. She walked over to the window and opened it. “Sorry this night didn’t go so great.”</p><p>“It’s okay.” Gina rubbed her back. “It’s just nice to know that you tried.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Rosa looked out the window for a minute as the cold air poured in. Turning back to Gina, she rubbed her shoulders. “There are some empanadas and humitas left. How about we take them to the bedroom, crank up the heat, and pull up the covers?”</p><p>Gina smiled. “That sounds nice.”</p><p>While Rosa fetched the foods, Gina returned to the bedroom, turning up the thermostat as instructed and laying back in bed. Her wife followed soon after, settling down beside her and pecking her on the cheek.</p><p>“Happy birthday, Gina.”</p><p>“Thanks, boo.”</p><p>Taking up a humita, Gina bit into the husk, humming as the dough hit her tongue. Crunching on corn and pastries, she rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder. The room heated up gradually as they lay there. This had been Gina’s most peaceful - and memorable - birthday yet, and she was happy about that.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Regular Lawbreaker</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rosa finds out Gina's biggest - and most illegal - secret.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shutting the closet door, Rosa was finally done with the last of the suitcases. She took a moment to catch her breath, wondering why Gina had packed so much stuff for their honeymoon. She’d filled up the entire trunk of the rental car with her bags, jam packed with clothes and trinkets. If she was going to start lugging around all this stuff every time they took even a minor trip somewhere, like to Cop-Con and the annual Detectives-Only Getaway, then they might as well get a car. Shaking her head, she turned to the bed and flopped down onto it with a sigh. After a week in Massachusetts, it was nice to be back in her own bed again. As she stared up at the ceiling, she felt Gina sit on the bed beside her.</p><p>“How much do you love me, Rosebud?”</p><p>Rosa sat up to look at her wife and lover. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“How bad of a crime would I have to commit to make you stop loving me?”</p><p>“Hm.” It was an odd question, so Rosa thought of the first thing that came to mind. “Bomb an orphanage full of refugee kids.”</p><p>“Really? That’s it? What if I was a serial killer?”</p><p>“That sounds kinda hot.”</p><p>“Well, now I’m worried that I married a psychopath.”</p><p>“Seriously?” She wrapped her arm around Gina’s waist. “When I married you, I thought you were a psycho, too.”</p><p>Gina shrugged, grinning. “Maybe I am.” There was a moment of silence as she rested her head on Rosa’s shoulder.</p><p>“Why do you ask?”</p><p>Looking down at her dangling feet, Gina sighed. “It’s nothing important. Nevermind.”</p><p>“Hey.” Pinching her chin gently, Rosa looked at Gina. “You can tell me anything, and I won’t get mad. I love you.”</p><p>After examining Rosa’s eyes for a tense few seconds, Gina relented. “Hold on.”</p><p>Rising, she walked into the bathroom. Rosa could hear her rifling through their things, and she returned after a minute, a cigar box in her hands. Reading the Spanish text printed on it, Rosa was able to discern that they were Cuban.</p><p>“You smoke?”</p><p>“Yeah, but not tobacco.” Pressing herself against Rosa affectionately, Gina opened the box to reveal a bag of familiar green herbs. “Marijuana.”</p><p>As a detective and as Gina’s wife, Rosa tensed up as her two personalities - cop and civilian - clashed, arguing over what to do. “Where did you get this from?”</p><p>“Nice try, officer.”</p><p>Doing her best to push aside her lawful instincts, Rosa started over. “How long have you been doing this?”</p><p>“A good long while, pretty much since high school. I don’t smoke it that much because of the smell, so I cook it into brownies instead. In fact, I have a hidden batch under the floorboards.”</p><p>Rosa nodded. She knew that marijuana was unjustly outlawed and that it wasn’t that bad. Maybe she could let it slide, just this once.</p><p>“So, are you gonna arrest me?”</p><p>“No. I could never arrest you.” She rubbed Gina’s fingers with her own. “Why don’t you pull out that stash of yours? I could use a snack after that long drive.”</p><p>“Really? You mean it?”</p><p>Rosa nodded. “It can be our little secret.”</p><p>Smiling warmly, Gina walked out to the living room and soon returned with a plastic container. Cracking it open, the sweet smell of chocolate wafted out, and Rosa’s mouth started to water. They each took a brownie and, holding each other close, sank their teeth in. Rosa hummed in delight as the incredible taste washed over her tongue.</p><p>“Like it?”</p><p>Rosa nodded enthusiastically. “Mhm.”</p><p>Once they’d washed down their brownies with some delectable chocolate milk, they lay down in bed together and waited for the effects to kick in. After some time with no change, Rosa was starting to wonder how long it would take. She’d smoked joints while she was undercover, but she wasn’t sure if eating pot brownies took a different amount of time to kick in.</p><p>“How long is this supposed to take?”</p><p>“How long has it been since we ate?”</p><p>Rosa looked over at the clock, which said that it was 7:54. “Thirty-six minutes.”</p><p>“Any second now.”</p><p>Rosa went quiet again. She sat there for a minute more. Sure enough, she soon realized that things felt somewhat off. A sense of calm washed over her.</p><p>“I feel weird.”</p><p>“That means it’s working.”</p><p>She sat up quickly, so quickly that she seemed to lose track of where she was on the spacial plane. “Woah.” She rubbed the blankets and realized just how soft they were. “So soft.” A shiver ran up Rosa’s spine as Gina ran her fingernails along the back of her neck.</p><p>“That’s the best part of doing weed: it stimulates your senses, like 5 Gum.” Gina reached her hand into Rosa’s pants, slipping a finger inside her. She kissed her neck. “You like that?”</p><p>Rosa’s body lit up as her nerves came alive. She moaned in pleasure and caressed Gina’s cheek. She kissed her, still able to taste the chocolate on her breath. “Make love to me, baby.”</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>In a breathy rush, Rosa and Gina pulled their clothes off and tossed them to the side. Sitting face-to-face and linking their legs, they thrust against each other, grinding their hips in glee. They gasped after every broken kiss, their lips linked by a string of saliva. Rosa stroked Gina’s soft skin as her crotch tingled. She didn’t know if she would remember this in the morning, but she hoped that she did. She’d never felt so peaceful and pleasured. It was as if her heart, soul, and mind had been opened up to a whole new world of feeling. Of course, she couldn’t tell anyone else about this, but she was alright with that; this was something between her and her lover, and it would stay between only them as they made love to each other.</p>
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